Chapter Text
By the time their baby girl Elosi is born, Luzuko and Ko’ba are somewhere close to being four year old children despite only nine months passing by. With Elosi strapped to his chest, Namor stands on the edge of the beach watching the twins play in the water.
They fly in and out, going way up and diving back down. Namor shakes his head with a smile on his face.
Although it comforts the parents knowing their children are going to live forever and they’ll never experience a day without them, the rate at which they grow is alarming at times. They really only had two months of them being babies before toddlerhood then childhood happened. Seeing the difference a week has made in their newborn daughter, Namor has a feeling Elosi is going to experience the same aging process as her brothers.
Luzuko and Ko’ba come flying toward their father and sister, then drop slowly down into the sand.
“Baba!” Ko’ba asks. “Can we go to Jabari Land?”
It’s difficult to say no to that smile. “I don’t see why not. Mama’s still in the lab. We have time.”
“How come Mama’s with that lady?” Luzuko questions with his hands on his hips and a scowl on his face. It’s almost uncanny how even though they’re identical twins, Luzuko somehow looks (and acts) more like this father. “I heard you call her an annoying American scientist. Mama shouldn’t be hanging with no annoying American scientist. You should go teach that lady a lesson for bothering Mama.”
Namor pushes his eyebrows together. “How’d you hear me say that!?”
Luzuko wiggles his ears. “Me and Ko’ba can hear everything. ”
“Yeah,” the other brother pipes up once they take flight toward Jabari Land. “Like last night when you and Mama were fighting.”
Namor’s temporarily distracted by his daughter wiggling against his chest to grasp what they’re saying. “Your mother and I weren’t fighting, boys. We never fight. We love each other.”
“Then why’d we hear you begging for mercy?”
The father chokes on air and almost drops Elosi as he readjusts her. He smiles nervously at the twins as the family continues flying. “Ah, you caught me. She was, uh…trying out some new moves, being Wakanda’s protector and everything.”
Luzuko smiles smugly. “Mama always wins, huh? She’s stronger than you. She’s the strongest person in the world!”
“Indeed she is,” Namor tells his proud mama’s boys. The twins go on to talk about what Shuri could possibly be inventing in her lab right now while the father makes a mental note to talk to her about extra-strength noise proof plugs to pop in their eardrums at night.
Not having sex is out of the question.
When they arrive at Jabari Land, the weather and scenery instantly changes. He’s about to ask his sons if they need him to borrow some coats from King M’Baku, but they’re already rolling around making angels in the snow. When Namor lands, he peaks under the wrap at Elosi’s face and smiles as they make eye contact.
“What about you, princess? Are you comfortable?”
When she gives him a gummy smile, Namor has proof she’s aging like her brothers. Oh, well. He’ll have to soak up the next few months as much as he can.
While Elosi happily coos, Namor stands in the center of the vacant snowy mountain. Aside from his sons’ laughter, everything is quiet.
Too quiet.
Namor hears the attackers coming before they have a chance to strike. He reaches behind him and grabs the wrist of M’Baku, flipped him over in front of him. The Wakandan king lays flat on the snowy ground, trying to catch his breath.
“Fishman!” M’Baku groans. “What in Bast’s name is wrong with you!? My children and I saw you out here playing and wanted to join in!”
“You should’ve learned not to sneak up on me after the first time. And knowing I have my daughter? Really?”
M’Baku’s pain is replaced quickly by glee noticing the baby tucked inside of Namor’s wrap. “I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of meeting the little princess yet. Would you mind letting me hold her? I didn’t have a chance to hold Flotsum and Jetsum before they turned into full blown children.”
At the mention of the twins, Namor turns his head and sees the boys beating on the Jabari warriors, who have been calling out to the king for some assistance the last ten minutes.
“Can we go inside your castle first?”
“Of course.”
Namor helps M’Baku on his feet and then pulls his sons off of the Jabari warriors. Once they’re inside the warmth of the king’s palace, Namor takes Elosi out of the wrap and hands her over to M’Baku slowly, carefully, as if she’s extremely delicate.
“Oh, little nkosazana!” The king sings while rocking her in his arms. “You’re a dead ringer for your late grandmother. Yes, you are! Yes, you are! Aw…little tadpole. She’s absolutely beautiful, Fishman.”
“I know that.” Namor takes a look around the hallway they’re in. All of the walls are made of glass, allowing him to overlook every spot of the mountains for intruders. Luzuko and Ko’ba are currently licking one of the glass walls and breathing on it to draw pictures with their fingers. “What do you do for entertainment around here? Aside from making snowmen?”
“I don’t make snowmen. I make snow-apes.”
“I stand corrected.”
“It’s funny you should mention entertainment, though. Your wife gave me the plane she hit you with. Want to take the kids on an adventure around Wakanda?”
Namor shrugs his broad shoulders. “Anything beats licking glass.”
“Thanks for letting me upgrade my shit here, girl. I feel like I can’t touch Ironheart without someone looking over my shoulder.”
Shuri completes the final touches on the hoverboard she started almost two years ago. With her sons - and some day, her ankle-winged daughter - being able to fly, the gift seems pretty silly. She’s proud of it, though, and perhaps the boys will think of it as a surfboard in the sky or something.
“It’s no problem at all. I love your company.”
Riri comes up from behind her and whistles at the invention. “Damn, now that’s something Tony Stark might be jealous of! Are you really going to give it to the twins? Aren’t they a bit young?”
“I’m pretty sure Luzuko and Ko’ba are going to be close to ten by the end of the year. Aside from that, they’re not your average children. If they were to fall off, their wings would save them and if that’s too late, hitting the ground won’t hurt them at all.”
“Yeah…about that. How do you feel with your kids throwing a reverse high-speed Benjamin Button on you?”
Shuri shrugs and takes the hoverboard off the counter. “While it is sad I didn’t have much time to enjoy them as babies, I’m happy knowing I’ll never lose them like I did T’Challa. They’re incapable of falling ill. You know what I mean?” Riri smiles sadly at her and she continues. “Besides, Namor and I are going to be old people hitting each other with our canes one day. That makes what I miss out on worth it.”
Riri starts getting into her Ironheart suit. “Well, Miss Mamas, why don’t you put your mom and wife life off to the side for a hot minute and come fly with me? It’s about time you have some fun on your own.”
Her friend is right about that. If Shuri wasn’t busy with her family, she was performing her duties as Black Panther, going on special missions to retrieve trapped War Dogs, or doing her work as the chief science officer of Wakanda. To take a moment to let loose and test out her machine sounds like a dream.
“Why not? Let’s go.”
“That’s what I’m talking about!” Riri cheers and the young women start heading out to one of the citadel’s balconies.
“Check this out, Fishman. We can enter stealth mode and turn invisible.” M’Baku presses a button on the cockpit and wags his eyebrows. “Eh? Eh?”
“That’s great, M’Baku, but only the outside - which I cannot see right now - changes. Did we turn invisible ourselves? No? Then it’s nothing special.”
“You really like to bring down the mood, don’t you? Why don’t you try flying, then? I’ll hold the little buttercup.”
“I don’t know…”
“C’mon. Only for a few minutes then I’ll fly us back to Jabari Land.”
After looking over shoulders to make sure his sons are behaving themselves by sitting still as he asked, Namor sighs and reluctantly gives Elosi to M’Baku. He sits down in front of the control panel and following instructions M’Baku gives him, Namor’s able to comfortably handle the plane.
“Hey! Look at that smile on your face, Fishman!” M’Baku laughs. “You’re practically glowing!”
“Why does he call you Fishman?” Luzuko’s voice is suddenly in Namor’s ear and the father jumps.
“ Chaac! Don’t scare me like that! I can lose years of my life!” Namor waits for his heart rate to settle down before answering his son. Luzuko continues to stare at him with an intensity in his eyes that Namor knows he inherited from his father. “I don’t know why he calls me that, mehen. Perhaps because I live in the ocean part time.”
“Sounds like he’s making fun of you.”
Namor’s eyes widen at the sudden lethalness in his son’s voice. He’s about to address it when hands cover his entire face from behind.
“BABA! THERE’S A BUG! A BIG ONE!”
“Ko’ba!” Namor takes one hand off the steering wheel to try and pry his son’s hands off of him. His right cheek is starting to burn. “A bug won’t kill you! You’re superhuman! Stop blocking my vision!”
“BUT IT FLIES, BABA! IT FLIES!”
“I’ll go kill it,” Luzuko cracks his knuckles. “Show me where.”
“But brother! I don’t want it to kill you, too!” Ko’ba starts crying and M’Baku tries to intervene.
“You need to listen to your father, child! Flying with blocked vision is very dangerous, more dangerous than that bug!”
By the time Ko’ba finally does let go, it’s too late. The plane trembles harshly when the nose of it comes into contact with another flying object. M’Baku leans over and sets the plane into auto-pilot mode, making it remain floating in the air and turning off the invisibility. The two men look at one another at the same time.
“Did you see what I hit?”
M’Baku admits that he doesn’t, but then his eyes shift upward when there’s knocking on one of the large windows. The scientist, dressed in her flying suit, is holding Shuri’s unconscious body in her arms. The king winces loudly, the boys scream, Elosi cries, and Namor immediately opens the plane door for Riri to enter.
“Yo! What the hell is wrong with you!? Just out here trying to murk your wife!?”
Namor ignores her and the sounds of his children sobbing as he holds his beads against Shuri’s chest. “Griot! What’s her condition?”
“Shuri is in critical condition. She will survive, but she has suffered significant head damage. There is a high chance she has amnesia, but we won’t know for certain until she wakes up.”
“Chaac damn it!” Namor curses and runs over to one of the cabinets, searching for a medical kit. His sons are right on his heels.
“Is Mama dying?”
“Why’d you have to hit her!?”
“If Mama dies, I’m going to be so mad at you!”
Namor takes a deep breath after finding the medical kit, not wanting to lose his cool in front of them - now or ever. “Your mother is not dying. Give me a few minutes and she’ll be back to normal.”
“She’s going to be really mad at you,” Ko’ba whispers with a pout. “What if you die?”
He doesn’t tell him this, but he fears he just might if Shuri finds out what happened. He kneels down beside her and cleans the blood off her forehead as his kimoyo beads heal the wound he inflicted. At least she looks like nothing happened.
As far as how she’ll act?
He’s going to find out.
Okoye drops the pill into Namor’s hand, eyeing him suspiciously after taking a peek of Shuri unconscious on the cot inside the laboratory.
“Can I entrust you with giving this to her if she does indeed have amnesia? I will not stand by a million little lies again.”
“Okoye, the truth is far better than any lie can be. You have my word I will give her this pill.”
“Alright…I’ll be waiting with the children and M’Baku inside the entertainment room. Bring her there immediately so I know that everything is back to normal.”
Namor nods and it’s enough to convince Okoye to give him some space. He goes back inside the lab and freezes, seeing that Shuri is now stirring and starting to sit up. Her tattooed hand is touching where there should’ve been a sore spot on her head.
“Are you in pain?” Namor asks softly and she jolts at the sound of his voice, not realizing that he’s standing in the room with her.
“No…I’m very confused, though…” Shuri looks around at her surroundings then back at him. “Where am I?”
“You’re in a lab, in Wakanda.”
“Wa…kanda?” Shuri blinks and Namor’s heart feels as if it dips into his stomach. Does she really have amnesia after all?
“Yes. Your home. Our home. Do you…” Namor approaches her carefully and stops at the edge of the cot. “Do you know who you are?”
She shakes her head.
“Do you know who I am?”
“The doctor?” she asks weakly and Namor plays with the pill in between his fingers. He can give this to her at any time and everything will be fixed. Why not have a teensy bit of fun with her until then?
“Yes, I’m your doctor. My name is Dr. Ch’ah, and your name is Shuri.”
She smiles sweetly at both names, repeating them. “What happened, Dr. Ch’ah? Why can’t I remember anything?”
Namor sits down beside her on the cot and puts his hand on her knee, squeezing it lightly. “You were flying around with your friend for some ridiculous reason and you were struck by an invisible plane - completely accidental, by the way.”
“Really? Who was driving the plane?”
The doctor clears his throat. “Your husband. He told me he was momentarily blinded and regrets it immensely.”
“Hus…band?” Shuri blinks, then her expression turns to horror. “I’m married?”
“Oh, yes, but don’t look so disgusted. You quite enjoy being married. Your husband is very handsome and treats you well. He loves you.”
When her hand lands on his thigh and starts moving up and down slowly, Namor’s eyes widen.
“And what’s my husband’s name, Dr. Ch’ah?”
He swallows. “Namor.”
“Namor,” she moans and he regrets not wearing something more thicker. His erection is already rising visibly in his green shorts. “And what about you? Do you have a wife?”
This feels like cheating even though it literally isn’t. His wife is sitting right next to him, with her hand inching toward his aching bulge.
“I do… She’s the most beautiful, sexiest woman in the world and mother to my three sweet children.”
“Mm…she’s so lucky.”
“ I’m the lucky one.” He really is. He wants his wife back immediately. He grabs Shuri’s wrist before she can reach any further up. “Miss Shuri, I’m going to give you a pill and-”
“Do you ever have sex with your patients, Dr. Ch’ah?”
His brain short-circuits and before he can properly form a response, she’s straddling his lap. Her Black Panther suit dissolves and his eyes are greeted by her full breasts in her nursing bra. She starts scratching the scruff on his cheeks and he stares helplessly at her as she slowly grinds against him.
“Shuri…”
“Don’t act shy now,” she murmurs to his ear. “I know you want me, Dr. Ch’ah.”
Was he this horny for her when he lost his memory?
“But I can’t,” he mumbles as she’s taking off her bra. Her breasts are now free and fully exposed. He forgets what else he’s going to say, something about his wife maybe.
“Help me, doctor,” she pouts. “They hurt.”
As she keeps her strong legs wrapped around his waist, he reaches his large calloused hands up and starts massaging her. Her groans elicit more intense throbbing from his cock that she continues rubbing herself against. Everything about her feels too good, so good.
“K’uk’ulkan…”
They realize her slip up at the same time and he flies her down to the floor, pinning her underneath him. He shakes his head and they both start to laugh.
“Why would you trick me like that, itzia?”
“I mean, you did hit me with a plane. And you have to admit it’s kind of hot role playing, isn’t it?” She runs her fingers up and down his forearms. “But a doctor? Really? In your little booty shorts?”
“We’ll see what a big talker you are once you pull these shorts off,” he leans down and growls against the center of her throat, causing her to squirm in delight. “Your lab is sound proof, is it not?”
“If you’re asking if the boys will hear you screaming, absolutely not.” She digs her nails into his thighs. “These walls are built with the finest insulation. Not a sound can be heard on the outside.”
With that news in mind, Namor strips down what remains of their clothing and fucks her loud and hard - just the way they like it.
The parents find themselves in Elosi’s playroom, where Luzuko and Ko’ba - now close to six years old - join them. Elosi, five years old despite only a little over a year passing by, is instructing her brothers on what to make for their very special guests who have visited her restaurant today.
“For Mama, serve her pizza and ice cream. For Baba…” Elosi taps her chin while looking over at the little round table. “Hm…fish, cheese, and milk.”
“Yes, chef!” Ko’ba exhales and gets to work gathering the ingredients. He throws the toy food pieces into the small plastic frying pan and starts to cook. While the sound of the play oven sizzles, Elosi puts her hands on her hips and leans down to examine.
“You surprise me, brother.”
“Thank you, chef!” Ko’ba is nearly sweating as he flips the food over. “I always try my best.”
“You surprise me by how shit you are!”
“ELOSI!” Shuri shouts from the table and the little girl apologizes immediately. She smacks Namor against the chest for laughing. “Have you been up late with her watching Hell’s Kitchen again!?”
“What!? He’s the only colonizer I enjoy watching, the way he puts fear into those weaklings. He’d really hurt your feelings if you were on that show, atan .”
Shuri tosses pretend water out of her cup at him and Luzuko comes running over to the table.
“Ma’am, do I need to escort him out?”
“We’ll see,” she tells her son and he does an ‘I’m-watching-you’ motion to his father, who doesn’t say anything because the sad part is, Luzuko is probably close to being his equal in combat right now.
“You let me know, ma’am. I’ll handle him.”
“Thank you, security guard.”
Elosi leaves a crying Ko’ba to clean up the kitchen and she walks the plates over to her parents. She waits patiently with her hands folded in front of her as they take their first bite. Shuri makes a big show out of pretending to nibble and groaning loudly.
“Absolutely delicious! Incredible! Ten stars, the most delicious restaurant I've ever been to!”
Elosi grins excitedly and looks at her baba, who takes one look at the concoction in his bowl and makes a face.
“This fish is so uncooked that a skilled vet could still save it. Disgusting. Reminds me of my wife’s cooking.” Namor slides the bowl forward while Shuri gapes at him. “ But I have to admit, the chefs are adorable, so…two stars.”
When Elosi hears Ko’ba let out a stronger sob, she rolls her sleeves up. “You effing donkey! How dare you insult me! Let’s step outside!”
Luzuko joins her side, prepared to take him down when Shuri stands in the way. They don’t dare try fighting their mama. “I think it’s time to play a different game. Who wants to play hide and seek!”
“Me, me, me, me, me!” The twins shout at the same time while Elosi frowns.
“Mama, I don’t wanna play hide and seek. I want to have a princess party.”
“Oh. I suppose I can stay here and play with you while your father-”
“No. I want Baba to be a princess with me.”
Shuri looks at Namor and he shrugs his shoulders. This isn’t the first time. “Alright, sweetheart. You have fun with your baba, then. We’ll be right back.” She leans down to kiss Elosi on the cheek and then gathers the twins under each arm, causing them to giggle hysterically especially when she starts running.
Namor and Elosi listen with their pointed ears, waiting until they’re far off before going to Elosi’s closet to put on dresses. Elosi puts on her dress over her clothing that makes her look like a green water lily. As she puts the flower crown on her head, Namor is trying to slide the slitted white skirt with red snail shells over his green shorts. He squeezes his chest into the bandeau top made of tapa.
“Who are we again?” Namor asks while they look at themselves in the full length mirror.
“I’m Tiana and you’re Moana.”
“Got it.”
She tells him to sit down at the round table and she returns with a bucket full of manicure supplies. She takes her father’s large hand in her small one and starts filing down his nails.
“So how are we doing today, sithandwa ?” Elosi asks and he grins at her using the term of endearment Shuri uses. Their children really are always listening. “What color do you want? Can I interest you in a flower?”
“You know I have always liked the color green,” Namor tells her. “I’ll take a flower sticker on each thumb. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, ix ajaw !” His daughter starts to apply the polish, going over the chipped pink color that remained from last time they did this. “You better not cheap out on the tip again, or else we’re going to have a problem.”
“So are you still undecided about when you’re going to take Toussaint to Wakanda?”
“He’s only turning ten today, sisi. I’m not discussing it with him until he’s at least sixteen.”
Shuri glances out of the boat cabinet’s window at her nephew playing happily with her children. The twins are as old as Toussaint at this moment in time while Elosi is a year younger at nine.
“My boys will be sixteen in two years or less. They have to start discussions with their father about taking over Talokan pretty soon. Enjoy the time you have with Toussaint’s childhood as long as you can.”
Nakia squeezes Shuri’s shoulder. “That’s what your brother always told me. That man,” she sighs suddenly, a far-off look in her eyes as if she’s daydreaming about something. “I’m not in a hurry to get to the ancestral plane, but I sure do miss him.”
“Remember what I told you? He’s always here.” Shuri embraces her and then sets her focus on the table. “Should I call them in here?”
Nakia nods and starts putting ten candles on the cake as Shuri heads to the deck. She doesn’t know what they’re getting so hyped about until she gets close enough to see for herself.
Namor is floating out in the water, commanding orcas and a few dolphins to perform tricks using his power of telepathy. The orcas are rotating like rotisserie chickens and flapping their fins while the dolphins do a wiggling dance whenever they pop out of the water. Way out here, he’s able to do ridiculous things like this.
“This is so cool!” Toussaint shouts. “Your dad is the best!”
“He is pretty awesome, not gonna lie.” Luzuko crosses his arms over his chest proudly and Shuri smiles. Namor isn’t around whenever Luzuko compliments him, but little does he know, Luzuko is more of a Baba’s boy than he lets on.
“Baba!” Elosi shouts. “Can we ride on the orcas!?”
“Yeah!” Ko’ba joins in. “Pleeeeaaaaase!”
Toussaint looks over his shoulder at Shuri. “Auntie, can I also ride on the orca?”
“Mm…let me go check with your mother first, nephew. If she approves, you’re going to have to put on your life vest, okay?”
“Okay!”
Once Shuri receives Nakia’s approval under the condition that Toussaint rides with Namor, she returns with Toussaint’s life vest. She helps him put it on for extra security. If her children fall off, they can breathe underwater.
Namor has the orcas remain where they are and he flies over to the large boat. His own children head on their way over to the marine mammals and he scoops an excited Toussaint up in his arms.
“Please be careful with him,” Shuri warns. “Don’t let anything happen to him.”
“I could never, in yakunaj .”
She trusts him with every fiber of her being. He flies Toussaint over to the orca and it doesn’t take long for the animals to take them on a cruise. The sound of their happiness brings Nakia out of the cabinet.
“I can’t believe how much that man has changed.”
“I know. He’s so in love with his children.”
“It’s not the love for them that changed him in the first place, Shuri.”
Whenever Namor is able to take his children to Talokan, his heart swells with pride. His people adore them as much as he does and they’re never shy to show it. Numerous gifts are bestowed upon them as they float in front of the throne, and Namora keeps them all secure in a net.
The children, who aren’t really children anymore but rather teenagers, take turns sitting on their father’s throne. Luzuko taps one of the megalodon’s teeth, testing out its sharpness. Ko’ba kicks his legs back and forth while overlooking the capital city of Talokan. Elosi fights her way to be in the very center.
“Baba?” she asks him. “Are the gods and goddesses only allowing Luzuko and Ko’ba to be leaders? Can’t I be one?”
{You have to admit she would make a great queen,} Namora tells her current god-king. {All of your children have been given immortality, have they not? Elosi is just as capable as the princes are.}
{Thank you, Auntie!}
Namora winks at the sixteen year old while Luzuko narrows his eyes.
“The gods want Ko’ba and I to be K’uk’ulkan and Quetzalcoatl. Not you . A girl can’t be a god.”
“They’re called ‘goddesses’, actually,” Ko’ba speaks up and Luzuko smacks him upside the head. “Ow! I’m just stating facts!”
“You’re a Chaac damn nerd is what you are.” Luzuko crosses his arms and sets his heated gaze on his father, who has been awfully quiet. “Are you going to say anything about this? Weren’t you the one who had a message delivered to him by the real K’uk’ulkan himself?”
The god-king is having a hard time focusing on anything the moment that the underwater sun he built for his people rises and shines down on the city. He hasn’t given much thought to the fact that he’s going to pass the headdress he’s currently wearing onto someone, losing his title of Talokan’s leader for the first time in centuries. His people aren’t even aware of it and he’s making his speech to them today once Shuri arrives.
“We’ll talk about this later,” he says softly and looks at Namora. {My child, I’m going to take them with me to my hut. Can you get their royal clothing ready?}
{Of course, K’uk’ulkan.}
After he says his goodbyes to her, he swims to the caves rather slowly and ignores the sounds of his children bickering. He gives the Talokanil greeting to anyone who passes by him, knowing that his speech is going to be hard to get through. He has a deep love for his people that he knows his children haven’t yet developed. He isn’t sure if they’re too immature to understand what he’s going to tell them, but the story of why Talokan came to be is an important one.
He has them all sit down in front of the murals inside his hut and inhales sharply before speaking.
“I do not care which one of you rules over Talokan, but what I do care about is that you understand exactly how special this place and our people are. I’m going to start with a story about a woman named Fen, your chich.”
Namor tells them everything about the kind of life his mother lived before she became something new. He tells them about her scientific and astronomical research that changed the way of her village forever. He tells them about his father, the Nahautl missionary who loved her deeply but refused to leave his home, claiming that he’d rather have his blood soak the earth and become a tree on his own land than run away from the invaders. He tells them about the small pox, the shaman, and the blue plant. He tells them about his beautiful life with Fen, who although always carried a sadness inside her for being forced out of her home, Namor remembers all the times she did laugh and smile. He tells them about the suffering of their ancestors on the surface world, many of whom were killed or enslaved.
“Talokan is the only place where our history has been preserved, where our people can exist using the customs and traditions of the ancestors, never being forced to change who we are. There’s so much to protect here, my loves. I need whoever is going to take my place to ensure that nothing ever, ever happens to Talokan.”
There are tears in the eyes of Elosi and Ko’ba, while Luzuko, his jaw clenched, rises to his feet and gives his father the open-palm gesture.
“Líik’ik Talokan!” He shouts with a ferociousness that makes Namor catch his breath. “I will give my life for Talokan if that’s what it comes down to. With me as their protector and king, our people will flourish and never have to suffer. You can count on that.”
Staring into Luzuko’s eyes, Namor sees a leader. A passionate, fiery, powerful leader. He’s every bit his father’s son and will keep the legacy alive.
But the gods wanted two.
Elosi is standing by her brother now. “Líik’ik Talokan! With me as their goddess-queen, I won’t let anyone down. Especially you, Baba. I have been trained in the art of the Black Panther and of our Maya ancestors. I am strong and capable.”
Namor now looks at his daughter, really looks at her. She takes after her mother and not only in appearances. There’s a quiet ruthlessness inside of her that comes out when only necessary. She’s calm and calculated. Combined with Luzuko, she’ll make important decisions that’ll benefit rather than harm Talokan.
“Baba…” Ko’ba is still sitting on the ground. “Can I talk with you alone?”
Namor nods and tells his other children, “Go find Namora. She has your clothing ready for the meeting.”
Luzuko and Elosi leave Namor and Ko’ba alone. Namor joins his son on the ground and puts an arm around him.
“What’s wrong, mehen ?”
“Promise you won’t be mad?”
“You know me, Ko’ba. I’m always a little mad.”
“I-I know, but…” His son sighs and looks straight ahead at the mural of the Feathered Serpent God fighting the Black Panther. “I’d rather not fight and have Elosi and Luzuko be Talokan’s leaders. I love Talokan. I really do. But when the time comes where I might have to put my life on the line, I might take the cowardly way out. I don’t want my fear to destroy our people.”
Namor pulls him in close and rests the sides of their heads together. “You always have been my most sensitive child, but there’s nothing wrong with that. You’re very in tune to the emotions of others. That right there is a quality of a fine king.”
“You don’t have to try to make me feel better, Baba. Really. I’m happy with my brother and sister taking over your throne. I can’t see myself living in Talokan consistently when-“ Ko’ba stops himself and Namor can hear the sound of heart skipping a beat. “Nevermind.”
“What is it, Ko’ba?”
“I don’t…” Ko’ba’s eyes lower to his lap. He sniffs once and now Namor is growing concerned. “I don’t know how to tell you.”
“Mehen, please. I am no longer immortal. I might keel over if you keep me in suspense.”
“There’s someone in Wakanda I met at Saturday school a few months ago. I…might be in love. I think. I’m not sure. It could just be a crush or something but… I can’t stay away.”
Namor grins widely. “Love is never something to be ashamed of! When do I get to meet the girl who has my son so smitten?”
“He’s not a girl,” Ko’ba says quietly but Namor still hears him. Without skipping a beat, the god-king rephrases himself with an even bigger smile.
“When do I get to meet the lucky boy?”
“I… oh, wow. You’re fine with this? I’ve been stressing out for months finding a way to tell you!”
“Child, please! I have lived for centuries and done things you can’t even begin to imagine. You having interest in the same sex is far from an issue. Now, if he were white, maybe. But other than that, you love who your heart tells you to.”
“You didn’t have to mention your sex life, but thanks Baba. My heart does love him.”
Namor kisses his son’s forehead and they help each other get back on their feet. “Ah, I always knew you were a romantic. You take after your uncle T’Challa. He was very in love with your Aunt Nakia.”
“Seriously, Namor?”
They heard footsteps approaching, but didn’t realize it was Shuri until she’s standing in the entrance way.
“Why, hello, atan ! You’ve made it!”
“Mmhm. Why are you here telling our son something like that when you know damn well he gets it from you .” Shuri takes Ko’ba’s hand. “Did you know your baba wanted to marry me within days of meeting me? He had a whole ceremony planned. Gave me your grandmother’s bracelet and everything.”
“The jade one you always wear?” Ko’ba questions and when Shuri nods, he starts laughing at his flustered father. “Damn, Baba. You were thirsty as hell giving heirlooms away like that.”
“It was for the alliance!” Namor snaps and they continue to laugh at him. “Go get ready, mehen! We’re going to be late!”
Ko’ba goes off to find Namora and Shuri wraps her arms around Namor’s neck. He has no choice other than to hold her hips tightly.
“Don’t be so upset, sithandwa. I eventually married you, didn’t I?”
“Yes, but at what cost?”
They kiss and Shuri massages his bearded jawline. “Did you come to a decision?”
“I was waiting to discuss it with you first, in yakunaj. ”
“And I told you it’s not necessary. This is your throne you’re giving up. I trust whatever judgment you make.”
“The successors are going to be Luzuko and Elosi. I figure as soon as they’re ready, I’ll hand my headdress down to Luzuko and commission Namora to start making a similar one for Elosi.”
Shuri closes her eyes, either imagining their children as god and goddess of Talokan or doing so to avoid any tears.
“Very well. Let’s go tell Talokan about their new queen and king.”
“You go on ahead, Princess. I need to find Attuma and let him know who I picked. He hates being blindsided.”
They kiss again and he whistles watching her backside as she walks away. She doesn’t turn around but he knows she’s rolling her eyes at him. He chuckles to himself and leaves the hut in search of Attuma. The last thing he told him was that he was going to be inside one of the caves sharpening his sword.
Namor listens carefully for the sound of a blade being grinded, but picks up a different sound entirely. One of…
Moaning?
Body parts slapping together?
Quietly, Namor flies in the direction of where the noises of ecstasy take him. His eyes first spot Attuma’s sword and a specialized spear from Wakanda. When his eyes move a little further up, he sees Attuma completely naked slamming his hips into a bent over Okoye. Namor gasps a little seeing his son’s breather is off. He probably took it off to be able to put his lips all over the warrior.
Fearing that he may in fact die from lack of water, Namor quickly looks around for something he can use to gather some with. He finds a large bowl that’s normally used to put fruit inside of and scoops up some water from the spring.
The sound of his creeping footsteps are blocked out by the grunts, groans, and cries coming from the lovers. Namor quickly tosses the water in their direction and takes off before either of them can figure out who soaked them.
“Are you ready for your coronation tomorrow?”
“I think so, Mama. That wash really has my curls looking damn good.” Elosi’s timer goes off and she removes the mask from her face. “You should take yours off too before you get all crusty.”
Shuri listens to the expert and peels off the mask. She sees her daughter gathering some materials into a basket and claps her hands.
“Ooh! Is that your makeup for tomorrow?”
“Yeah! I’m going to practice applying it on Baba.”
“…Baba!?” Shuri jumps when Namor suddenly walks into the bedroom. He sits down on the vanity chair as if he belongs there and Shuri clicks her tongue. “Why him!? I’m right here!”
“Sorry, Mama. Baba asked me to try it out on him. Our face shape is more similar.”
Shuri watches in disbelief as Elosi massages moisturizer cream into Namor’s cheeks before applying the foundation. “You seem to be enjoying yourself,” she tells her husband with a slight sneer. “Like you’ve done this before.”
“I have. I enjoy the way it makes my eyes stand out. Is that a problem?”
“No…”
The door opens and the twins enter sopping wet. Before Shuri can yell at them to not jump on her bed with their swimming shorts on, they’re already tackling her.
“Why’re you so salty, Mama?” Luzuko lays his entire wet body across her stomach and stares up at the ceiling. “We all have our favorite parent. You’re mine.”
“Mine, too!” Ko’ba agrees with his hair soaking the pillow. “Baba needed Elosi on his team so he didn't take a complete L.”
“That’s a horrible thing to say! I don’t have a favorite child! You’re all my favorite! Same thing should be said about parents.”
Luzuko snorts. “Oh? You want us to lie to you, then? Come on, Mama. We can have our favorite and love you both.”
“Listen to the man, itzia. They know what they’re talking about.” Namor closes his eyes when Elosi tells him to. She’s gluing false eyelashes on him.
“Damn, Baba! You’ve got perfect features. Your face card never declines.”
“Period.”
“Oh my Bast,” Ko’ba mutters at the same time Luzuko says, “Oh my Chaac. Please don’t.”
“Wow… Elosi, you actually did an amazing job!” Shuri sits up and gets a closer examination of her husband’s face. “You can’t even tell the man is ancient!”
“Should I dye his grays next?”
“Your mother thinks my salt and pepper hair is sexy. Right, Shuri?”
When she says ‘period’, the twins groan and leave the room. Elosi steps back to look at her work, making her father blink his eyelids rapidly to see if the lashes stay on.
“This stuff is all supposed to be waterproof. I hope it survives on my way to Talokan.”
“It did when I went last time. Your makeup is the last thing you should be worrying about, my girl. Have you memorized your speech for tomorrow?”
“Duh. Have you forgotten who my mother is?”
“Oh, you’re spitting facts. That is my bad. You’re as smart as your naa . Of course you’re prepared.”
Shuri hugs her daughter and holds her shoulders when she pulls away. “Why don’t you go to the kitchen and eat, sweetheart? Tomorrow is a big, big day. I cooked-“ Shuri pauses, offended by their disgusted faces. “I ordered dinner. Dig in.”
“I am a little hungry. Baba, make sure to clean your face with the special cleanser and massage in toner when you’re done.”
“Bet.”
When it’s only the parents left in the room, Namor gestures to his lap and Shuri takes a seat on her own personal throne.
“Well, in yakunaj , our babies aren’t babies anymore. Tomorrow two of them become a god and goddess to all of Talokan and another is moving out by the end of the week. How’re you feeling, Mama?”
Shuri runs her fingers up and down his thick chest. “Like the last ten years and have flown by way too quickly. I’m glad they’ve finally stopped aging, but Bast…that was fast, wasn’t it?”
“Indeed it was, but now you and I…” Namor kisses her hand with his pink painted lips, leaving a mark. “We can start our own adventure. Talokan is in safe hands. Wakanda has many protectors now. What do you say, Princess? Want to go on another vacation with me?”
Shuri fails to hold it in and starts cackling. “I’m sorry, Namor. I can’t take you seriously with that stuff all over your face.”
“You’re just jealous you’re not slaying this hard right now.”
A few months later after Luzuko and Elosi get the hang of their new life and duties in Talokan, and Ko’ba is moved in with his boyfriend, Namor and Shuri find themselves in the center of a place nicknamed Sin City. It doesn’t take long for Namor to figure out why it’s called that.
He saw a couple having sex in broad daylight, drunk people around every corner, gambling in all the hotels, and now he’s staring at two of the largest pairs of breasts he has ever seen.
“Princess,” he whispers. “Are those real? How can they dance with chests that heavy? Their backs must hurt.”
Shuri tosses some more dollar bills onto the stage and sips on her drink before addressing him with a glare. “Will you relax and have some fun!? Riri and the internet recommended we come here to spice up our marriage. Take your shot already.”
Not wanting to ruin their vacation, Namor drinks the cheap liquor and shudders. Those two sources are very unreliable to have brought them here. An island by the beach or a snowy cabin is far better than this…odd smelling, loud place. Too many people here are either aroused or depressed. Namor wants to go back to the hotel room and soak in the tub. He’s sweating far too much under this hat.
His eyes travel back up to the dancer’s breasts. No way those are real. “Excuse me!”
The woman gives him a view of her ass as she squats down and looks over her shoulder. “You looking for a private dance, big boy?”
“Did you get an augmentation!?” he shouts over the music. “You look inauthentic!”
“ Namor !” Shuri snarls but thankfully, the stripper doesn’t seem to have heard what he said. She takes one look at the former princess and grins slyly.
“Is that sexy lady your wife?”
“Yes. Are your breasts-“
“Does she want a dance?”
“Sure!” Shuri tells her quickly to avoid having Namor ask her any more questions. “I’m all yours. In fact, we’ll take a couple’s dance.”
The stripper winks and it doesn’t take her long to get off the stage and take Shuri by the hand. Scowling, Namor follows them and they’re taken to a private room. The stripper gets two chairs and instructs them to sit right before a second stripper comes in. She’s even bustier than the first woman.
“The only rule is that your hands must be kept to yourselves at all times. Is that understood?”
“Completely. Right, Namor?”
“Why would I want to touch them?”
“He agrees, too.”
Music starts to play in the small room and the women begin their routine. Each song that plays, they remove more and more. At one point, they’re in nothing but their g-strings and bralettes. Shuri starts throwing money at them for reasons Namor doesn’t understand.
“Make it rain, sithandwa !”
“I cannot do that. I am not Chaac.”
“Toss money at them!”
Namor pulls a wad out of his pocket and chucks it at one of the strippers. Not too long after, the husband’s and wife’s laps are being straddled by the women. His nonexistent erection is being grinded all over against. He turns his head to look at Shuri, who has an ass being shaken in front of her face.
His atan is stunning tonight in a very, very short and tight yellow dress. Her hair has grown long over the years and she wears them in braids. Tonight - every single night, for that matter - she’s a goddess amongst average women. He watches her bite her lower lip and his eyebrows raise. Shuri’s heart rate has changed and it’s strumming against her chest. Her manicured hands twitch as the stripper dances on her lap seductively. Someone else is turning her on.
This simply won’t do.
Namor stands abruptly, causing his stripper to stumble backward. He starts clapping his hands and pointing to the door.
“Alright, that’s enough! You two need to get out!”
“What the fuck? You can’t be alone here! Our boss wouldn’t like that!”
“Would more cash change your mind?”
The women take one look at each other and nod. Namor throws the money at them again and locks the door as soon as they’re out. He stalks over to Shuri, who is about to start scolding him for being rude before he slides his tongue into her warm mouth. One hand holds onto her pulsating throat while his other sneaks its way in between her thighs. Her panties are damp.
“ I should be the only one doing this to you,” he tells her, low and dangerous against her mouth. Her legs spread for him.
“That didn’t turn you on even slightly?” she asks in a shaky breath.
“Not until I saw you. You’re the only one who can ever do anything for me, ix ajaw .”
“Please!” She chokes as his hand tightens on her neck. He moves his thumb up enough for her to lick the tip of it. His other fingers play with the crotch of her wet panties. “Please…Please me.”
After all these years, he can’t deny her a single thing.
Namor pulls down the jeans and boxers she made him wear and follows her to one of the mirrored walls. He spots her underwear on the floor and smirks, knowing she really did get worked up to want it already. She leans forward with her hands against the glass and arches her back. She looks back at him and wiggles her ass.
“Is this more your type?”
“You know me well.”
He grabs her ass and aligns his cock with her entrance. He gives her a firm spank on her left cheek and hears a loud moan when he penetrates her. He pushes in as far as he can and reaches one hand toward her breast to knead and massage.
This is what he likes.
This is what he loves.
That pathetic alcohol she has been having him consume is starting to hit just a little. At least, that’s what can explain this lightheadedness and their stupid grins in the mirror, with both of their tongues hanging out the side.
He bucks his hips faster and their expressions get more unhinged. Chaac damn Shuri feels amazing! This place feels amazing! He feels amazing!
“You look drunk ,” she accuses in a slurred voice. “You can’t handle your shit. ”
“I’m handling this ass, aren’t I!?”
“Faster, old man.”
His grip tightens, and knowing he’s going to leave some sort of mark on her other than what’s going to drip from her later, Namor is motivated. He pounds her until she’s sobbing and her walls clamp down on him. He swears he’s just tipsy enough to feel her hot liquid coating him. His release doesn’t come much later, ending in a less than noble grunt, groan, some sort of wounded animal sound.
He rests his overheated body on hers, feeling her shake as she laughs.
“Let’s get you in the water and relax, merman. The night is still young. And I’m not drunk enough.”
“For the last time, it is impossible for me to get intoxicated off of this weak, cheap alcohol you surface dwellers have. I was merely weakened by dehydration back in that filthy club.”
Shuri ignores her freshly soaked husband while she waits in line at the frozen daiquiri stand. She has seen a lot in Sin City when they walked around, but at least this one was inside their hotel. It’s a good way to cool down further and with the cups being one yard long, someone’s bound to get messed up tonight.
“What flavor do you want?”
As if almost completely forgetting his insults from earlier, Namor straightens up and switches his tone. “What flavors do they have?”
“Just about any fruit it seems. Pineapple, mango, strawberry, banana…”
“What’re you going to get?”
“Mango.”
“I shall have the same.”
Shuri kisses his cheek and they move further up the line. They’re now dressed in more casual clothing. She went with a pair of white shorts and a yellow camisole while Namor is wearing black basketball shorts, black tank top, and a baseball cap to hide the points of his ears. His wings are tucked inside a pair of shoes she made to provide him extra space and comfort.
The daiquiris are done surprisingly fast and Namor gapes at the size of the souvenir cups.
“Now what is this ?”
“Oh! You’ve never had a frozen drink before, have you? You’ll love it since you love shoving your face in snow so much! Try it!”
Namor carefully takes a sip from the long straw and smacks his lips together. When he nods in approval and takes a second sip, Shuri pumps her fist in the air.
“By the time we are finished with one of these, we’ll be walking sideways.”
“I think it’s going to take a lot more than this to get me drunk, Shuri.”
“Don’t forget you’re no longer a god, Ch’ah. Your body may not be able to handle what it used to.”
Namor’s halfway done with the daiquiri already. “We’ll see, Princess.”
“Shuri. ShuriShuriShuriShuri.” Namor sticks his hand out and squeezes one of her breasts to stop her from walking any further. “What’s that piano doing? Right here in the middle of the hotel? Why does this hotel look like the mall in Chicago? Do people ever sleep? Hey what’s that piano doing?”
Shuri lowers her second daiquiri from her mouth and looks with blurred vision at the instrument. “I think… I think anyone is free to play it.”
Namor’s eyes widen and he points a thumb at his chest. “You mean I can play it!?”
“Have you ever played one before!?”
“ Ye-es, wifey, I have.”
Shuri giggles. “No waaaaay.”
“Yes waaaay. There was one once at the bottom of the ocean. I played it until my fingers went numb.”
“Ohhh, Na mor! ” Shuri growls the second part of his name and draws him in close by the band of his shorts. “How very Wolfgang Amadeus of you…play for me. I’ll lay on the top being all sexy and mysterious.”
They manage to stumble their way toward the piano. Namor pulls the bench out and begins to play, unaware of how beautiful it sounds to him and Shuri is actually making the ears of others bleed. She’s sprawled out on the top, laying on her side and drinking her frozen concoction.
“Sing for me, icham . I want to hear how you really feel.”
Namor inhales sharply before pounding his fingers against the keys.
“Princess, princess, princess, princess, princess, princess, princess, princess, princess…I…love…youuuuuuuuu!”
Shuri kicks her legs in the air and squeals. “Make love to me, piano man!”
“I’m coming, itzia!”
A security guard comes running out from where he was spying and blows a whistle loudly at them.
“Hey, hey, hey! You two need to go back to your hotel room if you want to do something like that!”
In their own languages of Mayan and Xhosa, they tell the security guard something not very nice and flip him off as they head in a different direction.
They find their hunger for actual food outweighs the hunger for each other. They stumble across the street to a place called Margaritaville. It’s ocean-themed and therefore Namor has to like it by law, according to Shuri.
They’re being sneaky about touching each other under the table by sharing the same seat at one of the booths. The waitress comes and they behave themselves while she sets their coconut shrimp and strawberry margaritas down in front of them.
Suddenly, a noise that sounds like a warning siren blares throughout the restaurant and red lights start flashing. Shuri and Namor cling to one another for safety, believing that the restaurant is about to sink to the ground.
“What’s happening !?” Shuri asks the waitress.
“It’s margarita-o-clock!”
“...What in Chaac’s name is that?”
“We play ‘Margaritaville’ every hour and you’re obligated to take a drink!”
They remain holding onto one another as a song takes over the sound of the siren. Men and women dressed as sailors and mermaids come out of nowhere and start singing along.
“Princess,” he whispers. “This is the whitest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“I...know. What are we supposed to do? Sit here?”
“The waitress said to drink our margarita. Should we listen before they attempt to drink our blood in a ritual?”
Shuri nods and they finish their margaritas.
Then order four more.
“WASTED AWAY IN MARGARITAVILLE, SEARCHING FOR MY LOST SHAKER OF SALT!” Namor and Shuri sing at the top of their lungs. They’re standing on top of the table with a sailor and a mermaid.
At this time of night when the children are no longer allowed inside, some of the mermaids are climbing inside tubes of water with their shell bras off. Namor rolls his eyes when they have to come up for air after a few minutes.
“Hey!” He shouts at the sailor. “ I can hold my breath under water for a very long time! And I look impeccable with my shirt off. Want me to go in?”
“It’s true,” Shuri hypes him up. “He does. I’ve seen it. I’ve licked it.”
The sailor shrugs and pats them both on the back. “Sure, why the hell not!? We’ve never had a male in there before! Just don’t die so we don’t get sued, alright?”
“Who’s Sue!?” Shuri shouts.
“Sounds too conquistador-ish for me. I won’t die. I’m going now.” Namor grabs Shuri’s face and sticks his tongue down her mouth before releasing her. He strips down to nothing but his boxers and shoes, causing some elderly women nearby to whistle and cheer. He spins his tank top around in the air and tosses it at them. They fight over who gets to keep it. He nearly knocks a mermaid on her feet while rushing to get inside the water.
Once he’s inside the tank, he starts flexing his muscles and the women, along with a few men, go wild for it. Shuri, still on the table, nudges the sailor.
“He’s the father of my children. I hit that.”
“Nice!”
She smacks the sailor’s chest. “Looklooklooklook. He’s about to flex his back- YASSSSS!” Shuri fans herself. “Oh, I wish I brought my suit with me. That back looks even better with my claw marks all over it.”
“Ooh, you’re kinky !”
After Namor comes out and he’s given a towel to dry off with, other people want to start getting inside the tanks, too. The owner is in such a good mood that he allows it once he prints out some waivers. During all the excitement, Shuri’s kimoyo beads start going off.
“It’s Ko’ba!” She answers and the parents smile ridiculously wide at their son’s hologram. “My usana , my baby! How’re you?”
“I’m…fine,” Ko’ba laughs. “Yo, where you two at right now?”
“Don’t you hear the music, child? Margaritaville!” Namor leans in so close that all Ko’ba can see are his nostrils. “We’re lit as fuck!”
“...Oh my Bast, Baba. Maybe I should call back tomorrow.”
“No, no, no, no. Tell us why you called.” Shuri forces Namor back to where he was. “Please.”
“K’Tenzi proposed to me! I’m getting married!”
Shuri starts screaming and addresses everyone in the restaurant. “MY BABY BOY IS GETTING MARRIED!”
A wave of different cheerful responses are heard and Shuri looks at Namor when he doesn’t say anything. He’s too busy crying happy tears to get anything out.
Laying in the bathtub with water that has gone from hot to lukewarm, Namor is beginning to return to a more sober state of mind. He awakens from his previous drunken nap to find Shuri asleep and snuggled up against him. He doesn’t remember if they had sex or how they ended up here. He shakes her gently.
“ In yakunaj…In yakunaj… There’s my princess.” He smiles when they make contact, even if her eyes are hardly open. “I’m going to take you out so your skin doesn’t prune, alright?”
She whines and puts her arms around his neck. “No. It’s comfortable here for you.”
“Exactly. For me, not for you.”
“But I love you. I don’t mind.” She buries her nose against his damp chest. “Hold me. I don’t want to leave.”
“Fine. A few more minutes, because I love you .”
“I love you more,” she whispers.
“Not true.” He kisses her forehead and then notices something that makes him smile.
Some of her roots are starting to gray.
The grooms tie the knot in a grand fashion, very similar to how Ko’ba’s parents did it but with an extravagant reception following the intimate ceremonies. Elosi, who served as the shaman and wed them in Maya tradition, sits down at one of the large tables. She leans over to give her father a kiss on both cheeks before settling down.
“How’s the goddess-queen life treating you, my beautiful child?”
“Baba, you ask me that every single day and I tell you the same answer. I love being worshiped and I love Talokan.”
“I know. I like to hear it is all.”
Luzuko comes toward the table and M’Baku starts laughing. “Your boys are the splitting image of you, Namor. All they got from Shuri was her hair. Where is our Black Panther, anyway? Pregnant again and had to stay home?”
“She’s handling some family business. She’ll be back in a minute.” Namor stands up to hug his son, who has grown tall and even more muscular than before. He’s a bit harder to locate than his sister. “How’re you, mehen? The last few times I went to Talokan, I couldn’t find you.”
“Don’t you go every day?”
“Exactly. What’s going on? Is there a problem? Are there more detectors?”
Riri throws her hands up when Namor sends a glare in her direction. “Don’t forget you’re old now, bro. I’m not afraid to throw down with you anymore. Stop looking at me like that!”
Namor gives her one last glower for good measure and then brings his attention to his son again. “A’aten, mehen.”
{Can’t keep his dick in his pants,} Namora says when Luzuko fails to speak first. {There are about five Talokanil women pregnant that claim the god-king is their father. Elosi, on the other hand, has been very respectable.}
The women high-five each other while Luzuko tries to defend himself.
“I’m not denying that I’ve had sex a lot, but that’s not all I’ve been doing. I’ve been training our soldiers in a more lethal style of combat.”
“I’m interested in hearing about this training, my child. And about the sex…eh. I went through a phase myself when I hit maturity where I needed to fuck everything. It happens to the best of us.”
“Baba! Gross!”
“Sorry.”
Elosi squints when she notices something on her father’s face. “Baba, you’re starting to get wrinkles. You need to buy that cream I was telling you about and rub it on your face at night.”
“Why don’t you come over for a mask date again? Your mother doesn’t get it into my pores like you do.”
“Well if the whore of Xibalba over here can chill for a moment and watch over Talokan, I can.”
Luzuko shrugs his broad shoulders, clearly unashamed. “At least I’m having sex.”
“Speaking of sex, has anyone seen who’s pregnant again?” M’baku points and they follow the direction.
Okoye, with her belly round and prominent underneath her tight black dress, is forcing her other three kids to walk in a straight line together over and over again until they learn to not cause mischief at the food table. Attuma is on the dance floor, hitting moves that his oldest taught him when they filmed a video on TikTok together. They’re in the middle of trying to recreate it.
“Attuma did say he wanted ten. Looks like they’re about to be halfway there.”
Ko’ba comes running over to the table after talking to the DJ. “Baba, where’s Mama? The mothers dance is coming up and I need her with me.”
Right before Namor can answer him, Shuri enters the Wakanda reception hall with Nakia and a twenty-one year old Toussaint. An awed hush fills the area as they walk by. Some guests have to slap themselves to see if they are dreaming. The reincarnation of their fallen King T’Challa is right in front of their very eyes.
M’Baku stands up immediately. His large hands tremble right before he greets Toussaint with a firm shake.
“I…I…Hello.”
“Hello,” Toussaint says politely. Nothing much has changed when it comes to him. He’s still the same sweet kid. “You must be King M’Baku. My mother and auntie have told me a lot of great things about you.”
M’Baku swallows. He’s beginning to feel dizzy. “I am sorry, boy, but nobody has told me about you. I’m a little shell-shocked right now. I mean…you have to be his son, right?” He glances at Nakia, who is still as beautiful as ever. “He’s T’Challa’s son.”
“Yes, I am. My Wakandan name is T’Challa, too. I wasn’t going to come here until I was ready but I didn’t want to miss celebrating my cousin’s marriage. I have no interest in taking the throne right now, but my auntie and I have decided that I’ll be the next Black Panther. I was hoping you could do the ritual for us in a few days?”
M’Baku stares past him at Shuri. The woman is only getting older. It makes sense to want to pass the torch. He’s going to have to accept that he’s not as young as he used to be, either.
“T’Challa, whenever you are ready to become king in addition to being the Black Panther, you let me know. I do not require a battle at Warrior Falls. My back is killing me too much to risk future spinal injury.”
“Thank you,” Nakia tells him softly and she touches his arm. “That’s very noble of you.”
M’Baku rubs the back of his damp neck and sways a little. “Aw, well…you know…it’s rightfully his position. I’m simply keeping it warm for him.”
Ko’ba takes his mother by the hand when the DJ announces it’s time for the mothers dance. Along with his new groom and new mother-in-law, the families dance on the floor together. Namor sighs happily watching them together. He catches Namor staring at him.
{What?}
{I want you two to have more. My niece and nephews grew up too fast.}
{The others will grow up fast, too.}
{Exactly why you can keep producing them.}
Namor rolls his eyes with a smile and takes her hand when the DJ announces that other people may join the dance floor. He sways with her for a moment before switching partners. He ends up with Okoye while Attuma and Namora waltz around the floor together.
“Hello, warrior. It has been a while. I see that you are…” Namor looks directly down at her belly that’s keeping them from getting any closer. “Extremely busy.”
“Yes, well…Thank you for allowing me to make a home inside your caves. It’s a lot easier dealing with aquatic children that way.”
“After all that you have done for us?” Namor twirls her around and brings her back to me. “It’s the least I can do.”
He continues to switch partners a few more times until he ends up with his wife, who looks extra gorgeous tonight in her long golden dress and pearls. The DJ plays a song called I Only Have Eyes For You and everything, everyone starts to slow down.
“I’m glad to see your talk with Toussaint went well.”
Shuri moves around with him in a steady circle. She caresses his jaw, which is peppered now with black and gray hair.
“It went very well. You’re not going to be upset about me not being the Black Panther anymore?”
“Upset? Why would I be upset?”
She brings her lips toward his ear. “Because I won’t be able to take it as roughly anymore.”
He discreetly squeezes her butt then dips her low. He kisses her directly on the throat while having her bent over, eliciting a sound of disgust from his grown up children and sighs of hopeless romantics who are watching. When he brings her back up, he murmurs,
“It’s getting to a point where I can’t take it rough, in yakunaj . We’re getting old. One day that day will come when all we can do is hold hands. Let us take whatever we can give each other from here on out.”
They share a simple, love-filled kiss.
“I like that idea. But you know…holding hands with you until the end isn’t such a bad fate, is it?”
“Never,” he tells her and kisses her again. “Never.”
Thirty Years Later
“Itzia!” Namor calls from the bathroom. “I need your help!”
“Oh, you promised me you wouldn’t start needing help with the toilet for at least five more years!”
“It’s not that, Princess! I can’t shave my face correctly.”
Shuri opens the door and instructs him to sit down on the closed toilet lid. With her cold and wrinkled hands, she massages the shaving cream throughout Namor’s face.
“You want it all off this time? Or just a trim?”
“All of it. The grandkids won’t stop pulling on it.””
His wife laughs and does as he asks. She shaves his beard completely off and applies aftercare for exfoliation. She kisses each spot on his cheek and holds his shaky hands in her steady ones.
“Get your coat on, Baba. And your cane. The doctor says we have to walk every morning, even on the cold ones.”
“Yeah, yeah. Stop riding my back, Mama. I’m not an orca.” He bares his teeth for a split second before kissing her. She helps him up and he shuffles his feet to the closet to retrieve his coat.
Once he’s dressed, he locks arms with his wife and they step out of their Yucatan home. They help each other over the thick roots of the nearby trees and make their way to the shoreline.
Shuri’s kimoyo beads start going off and she answers. Elosi appears on the hologram, still looking like a twenty-five year old no matter how much time has gone by.
“Hello, Mama. This is your daily reminder to take your pills.”
“Already did! I sent a picture! Stop worrying about me, will ya? I’ve got more brains than you have beauty, which you have an awful lot of, my sweet girl. Leave me alone.”
“Mama-”
“She’s right, my angel. You get on our Chaac and Bast damn nerves.”
“Geez! Forget to have your cup of xocolatl this morning or what!?”
“Bring the kids over soon. We miss them!”
“I know, I know. They miss you, too. I’ll have them join Luzuko’s pok-a-tok team whenever they head your way again.”
“You better. Goodbye, baby.”
“Goodbye, Mama. Bye, Baba! In k’aatech!”
“ In k’aatech , Princess!” Namor says back and Elosi’s face disappears. The couple continues to walk through the sand until they come to their usual spot on an old stone bench. Namor puts his arm around Shuri and looks down at her white hair before kissing the top of her head.
“Can I tell you a secret?”
“You still have some?”
“Yes. It’s quite the tea, if you ask me.”
Shuri chuckles and nestles her head closer against him. “Go on, then. Spill it.”
“You’re more beautiful than you were yesterday.”
She taps his nose. “Look at you still trying to get under my skirt.”
“I did last night. Give me another week. I’ll be ready again.”
They sit snuggled closely together, watching the waves drift in and out and the sounds of it crashing against rocks. A memory causes Shuri to smile.
“Do you remember Toussaint's birthday, many years ago, when you entertained them with orcas?”
“I do. I also remember riding on my old friend Kaaye and spotting you on that little boat. You were ready to kill me. I’ve never been that thrilled in my life.”
“Oh? And why’s that?”
“Because you were there. Right there. After all that time of yearning for another touch, another scratch, another anything… you were right in front of me. Waiting. The gods were at work that day getting us together and we didn’t even know it.”
Shuri hugs his arm. He has a bit of a stronger memory than she does, but there’s so much from those days that she does cling to, memories that can never be wiped away.
“Sometimes I think about that day and wonder what could’ve happened if I jumped on the back of that orca with you. Either to claw you or punch you or kiss you. We could’ve got our life together started sooner.”
“My love, I do not regret a single second of how we came to be. Every day since then has been better than the last. Don’t you agree?”
Looking out into the ocean, snuggled against the man she loves, their home only a few steps away?
Yeah.
She agrees.
“You know what would be nice right now if our bones weren’t so achy?”
“What’s that, Princess?”
“Another ride on an orca.”
She laughs because she’s kidding, but Namor leaves her on the bench to stand in front of the ocean. He’s staring out at the water and Shuri wonders what for until an orca pops up out of nowhere. He starts stripping down to his green shorts he keeps underneath all the clothes Shuri makes him wear. She’s always so stunned at how he’s been able to maintain his physique.
“Ah! There’s a friend! Come, in yakunaj. Let us fly over to him.”
Shuri stares at his extended hand.
“I’m not so sure about this… does your cheek burn?”
“Nope. Not a single inch of it. T’Challa wants you to do this, too.”
“…Namor, we’re going to look ridiculous! We are too old to be riding on the back of orcas!”
“Just because we have grown old, doesn’t mean we have to grow up. C’mon, Shuri. Where’s that infamous childlike curiosity of yours, hm?”
Shuri looks at Namor’s face, the orca, and then his hand. She did tell him that holding his hand can never be a bad fate.
She accepts her destiny.
Once she’s holding his trembling hand, he pulls her against his side and flies them over to the orca. They get situated with him in the front near the dorsal fin and her clinging tightly to his waist.
“Ready?”
Her squeezing of his torso is answer enough.
The orca swims away from the shore, going low enough to keep their bodies above water. It reminds Shuri of riding on a motorcycle, something she hasn’t done for a very long time. She closes her eyes and allows herself to be part of the right here, right now. Wind whipping her face, water droplets kissing her skin, her hold on her man unyielding, inhaling the scent of his subtle woodsy cologne, hearing him say anything at all…
After so much hardship and grief early on, Shuri has been struck with unexpected and shatterproof love.
If this is any indication of what remains of her life, she can't wait for what tomorrow brings.
End