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Soul chuckled as she watched the children swim around the sunken ship. It reminded her a lot of herself. When she left Talokan she would always hangout at a sunken ship and talk to the sea animals by herself. Her heart broke for all the little kids who lost their life because of the selfish surface people.

As she watched the children swim around she still couldn't help but feel different from them. Her tail had bright beautiful colors and theirs were dark colors of blue, purple, and black. Their skin wasn't like hers, as they had more grey-ish skin with black hair. None of them had the power of having legs either. She got that from her mother who had been gifted with having legs when she was born. It was only a rare occasion it happened. Only sirens guaranteed to lead would be gifted with such powers.

"You're Soulina, right?" A male voice spoke in Aquan and Soulina turned to her right to see who spoke. A boy, who appeared the same age as her had offered a smile, his hand stuck out for her to shake. "Yes, that's me." Soulina smiled softly as she shook his hand.

"I'm Lucien, I've heard a lot about you. Your mother never stops talking about you." He said. Soul chuckled, "It's nice to meet you, Lucien. Do you speak English?" Soul asked. She didn't speak Aquan often as it reminded her of her mother. Aquan was the language of the sirens so it always reminded her of what she used to have.

"I can't speak a lot but I do understand it to a certain point. I'm still trying to learn. What languages can you speak?" Lucien asked, following Soulina as she swam down towards the ship since the children were beginning to leave. "I can speak at least six languages and I understand seven. I speak English, Spanish, Xhosa, Aquan, French and Yucatec Mayan. And I can understand Greek to a certain level." Soulina explained, swimming through the broken window and he followed.

"Wow, that's impressive. Who taught you?" He asked, admiring her graceful movements.

Soulina sat on the edge of the table in the sunken ship and leaned her hands on it. "I actually taught myself. After years of being trapped in the same city, you tend to get bored and read. But when I was born I could only speak Mayan and Aquan from my mother and fathers genes." Soul explained. She never got to talk to anyone her age often so she was really enjoying how he was actually paying attention to what she was saying. Most people brushed it off and talked about themselves.

"That's truly amazing, not many people can learn a language without studying for decades. Can you say something to me in Mayan?" He requested, swimming closer to her and she blushed. "Uts tin wich u páajtalil ku paktiken bey u yuuk'ik juntúul máak normal teechi'." Soulina spoke, chuckling at the confusion that washed over his features.

"What did you say?" He chuckled.

"I said "I like the way you look at me like I'm just a regular person to you"." Soulina spoke softly.

"Because you are. You're no different from any of us, Soulina. Just because you aren't a full siren, doesn't mean you don't share the same blood as one. You're royalty in Atlantica no matter who your father is. You shouldn't be treated like an outcast because of your appearance. And I won't treat you any different." Lucien said softly. Soul's breath hitched as he moved closer, their faces inches apart.

"What's going on here?" Monsella leaned on the doorframe, her arms crossed over her chest with raised brows. Clearly not being fond of the situation. Soulina and Lucien immediately moved away from each other, awkwardly looking at the Queen with pursed lips. "I was just- uh I'm gonna go." Lucien stumbled over his words.

"Smart choice," Monsella hummed.

"Hopefully we'll see each other again, Princess." Lucien smiled soflty at Soulina before swimming past the Queen who glared slightly.

"Are you ready to go?" Monsella smiled, swimming towards her daughter who was visibly lost in thought. "Hey, what's on your mind?" Monsella rubbed Soul's shoulders gently with a concerned look.

"I just- I've been thinking. What if I want to stay here?" Soul asked. And immediately did sadness wash over Monsella's features. "Why would you want to stay here? You have so much to live for, Soul. So much life you still have the opportunity to explore. I won't let you stay here, it's too soon." Monsella said, shaking her head softly.

"You say I have so much to live for yet I'm coming up on twenty years and all I've done is be forced to stay in Talokan. Mama, there's nothing for me there." Soul denied, searching her mother's eyes for a little bit of understanding.

"What's this about, Soulina? Where's this all coming from?" Monsella sat down next Soul, her arm around Soulina's shoulder.

"All my life I've been...different. I stand out. I don't fit in with anyone. But here, it's like I can actually relate and feel normal. I still feel different, obviously, but at least nobody can look at me like I'm a freak." Soul explained, leaning her head on Monsella's shoulder. "Lucien doesn't treat me any differently," Soul mumbled.

Monsella looked down at Soul with a raised brow, "So this is really just about the boy isn't it?"

Soul diverted her eyes away and Monsella sighed. "Baby, you don't like him. You like the idea of him. There's always gonna be the one person to make you feel good in the moment. But what's important is finding someone who can make you feel good all the time. And I may not know much, but the way you talk about this girl...she seems pretty worth it to me."

Soul nodded softly in agreemen, "Yeah. I'm ready to go back now." Monsella smiled and turned to face her daughter who did the same. "Remember, I will always be here for you. Don't ever be scared. Make your mama proud and go get that girl. Okay?" Soul smiled and nodded, holding back tears.

"Am I ever gonna see you again?"

"Maybe. But I hope you won't have to."

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Soulina woke up with a gasp, immediately reaching for her necklace that glowed. Soul sighed in relief seeing she was in her bed. But as she looked around she noticed K'uk'ulkan wasn't there, neither was Attuma or Namora. The only three people she was closest to in Talokan weren't there. Her eyes gazed over her stomach, no longer seeing where her wound previously was. She glanced around her room taking notice of two guards near her door.

"Where's my father?" Soul questioned, sitting up and pulling the duvet off of her. The guards shared a look, clearly unsure what to say. "He will return soon. He requested that you stay in bed till he returns." She responded to the princess.

Soulina squinted her eyes in suspicious, not buying it. She stood up from the bed and went to walk out but the guards blocked off the door. "We can't let you leave, Princess." She stated firmly.

"I'm the Princess of Talokan. You take orders from me. Let me out of this room or I will move you myself." Soulina glared harshly and the two women slowly, unsurely moved out of the doorway.

Soulina walked past them and ran to her father's office. She looked around the room and didn't see any trace of where her father could've been. That was until she spotted the bracelet she wore on the floor in the corner of the room. It was the exact bracelet Riri had dropped into the river that Soul never took off. Soul glanced down at her wrist, now having a slight idea where they were.

"Shit," Soul cursed, running out of the room. She dived into the water and swam to Wakanda.

Once Soulina arrived, her brought her head up from the water and looked around. She took notice of the destruction and sighed. "What did you do, papa?" Soul swam back down and her eyes widened taking notice of Namora and Attuma under the water, heading to leave. They turned their heads, hearing her and they exchanged equally worried looks.

"Where is he?!" Soulina demanded, swimming towards them.

Attuma and Namora shared guilty looks and Soulina looked at them, her face filled with tons of different emotions. She had no idea how to feel anymore. Soulina swam back to the surface and headed toward the palace. Soulina sprinted out of the water and looked up, seeing Namor hovering in front of the throne room. The glass was broken and she knew that was courtesy of the water bombs.

Soulina ran into the building and raced up the stairs. She ran into the throne room, taking notice of Nakia, and Okoye already in there. Okoye was trying to save the Queen and that's when Soulina noticed Riri lying in the water, being attended to by Nakia. Soulina immediately ran towards Riri, dropping onto her knees and Nakia looked at her in confusion. Nakia had assumed the girl died but technically she wasn't surprised either.

"She did this!" Namor spoke as Okoye focused on the Queen. Okoye pulled off her Kimoyo Beads and placed them on Ramonda's chest as Nakia did the same with Riri. Soulina looked up, looking at her father, almost like she didn't recognize him.

"In one weeks time I will return with my entire army! And you will join us against the surface world! Or I will wash Wakanda from the face of the Earth!" Namor announced, ignoring his daughter's look that secretly hurt him to see.

Shuri rushed in with Aneka, "Mother!"

"Keep her back!" Okoye ordered Aneka. Okoye focused on trying to shock the Queen back awake. Nakia did the same with Riri as Soulina watched anxiously.

"Mother! Mama!" Shuri shouted, being held back by Aneka.

"Bury your dead. Mourn your losses. You are Queen now," Namor pointed at Shuri. (this was so unnecessary 😭)

M'Baku having ran in to hold Shuri back. Soulina just looked at Namor, in disbelief. There was no way he actually just said that. Soulina couldn't have felt any more betrayed than she did now. Saying something like this when Soulina herself witnessed her mother die just like Shuri was right now. It was just unbelievable. And it pissed her off.

"Mother! No! No! Mother! Mama!" Shuri cried. Soulina couldn't help but let a tear fall, getting flashbacks to the day her own mother died.

Some more of the Dora Milaje ran in. Soulina moved Nakia out of the way, removing the beads from Riri's chest. Soul pressed her hands to Riri's chest and used her powers, controlling the water Riri had swallowed to be forced out. Not a second later did Riri begin coughing out the water. Nakia looked on at her in shock, and slighty impressed.
Soulina sighed in relief, turning Riri onto her side to let her cough out the water. Soulina brought Riri onto her lap and let a tear fall for the Queen. She was internally grateful for the Queen sacrificing herself to save Riri.

"Mama! Mother! Mama!"

Nakia ran over to Ramonda and checked her Kimoyo Beads. "Wake up, mom!" Okoye cried.

"She's gone." Nakia said.

"Mama!" Shuri cried, no longer fighting against their hold.

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"Why did you save me?" Soulina sat on a chair in the medical room where Riri was at. They were doing check ups on her to make sure everything was okay. Nobody was very comfortable with Soulina being around but Nakia and Riri both came to her defense. Nakia didn't trust Soulina but she knew that Soul was clearly close with her father and if she chose Riri over her father than that spoke a lot of where her loyalty lies.

Soulina's eyes were trained on the floor, not making any eye contact with the girl. "You were gonna die, I didn't really have a choice." Soul mumbled.

"You always got a choice. You chose to save me over standing with your dad. Why would you do that? That's your dad." Riri pointed out, not letting this go like it meant nothing. It meant the world to her, even if she didn't say it out loud.

"I begged him. I begged him not to hurt you. And he did it anyways. He knew I cared about you, and he tried to take you away from me." Soulina spoke, wiping her tears as she spoke of her father. Riri listened, not daring to interrupt the mermaid.

"When I turned fifteen, I went up to the surface and went exploring. I ended up in Boston at the river. And I seen you. I don't know why but when I looked at you I just felt connected. I knew I'd do anything to protect you. So I went back every night to see you, to watch over you, learn about you, admire you. I know it sounds weird but you were the only thing that woke me up every morning."

Riri pulled her eyes off her hands and looked at the girl who sat to her right. Soul fiddled with the bracelet on her wrist and Riri furrowed her brows softly, recognizing it. "That's- that's the bracelet I lost in the river. My dad gave it to me as a birthday gift. I cried for hours when I couldn't find it. How'd you get it?" Riri asked, sitting up more.

Soulina looked up, noticing the look of relief of Riri's face. "Oh, I uh I found it in the river when you dropped it. I wanted to give it back but- I just I was-"

"It's okay, I know what you mean." Riri interrupted. Soul nodded and coughed awkwardly before going to pull off the bracelet to give it back. "No, no, you keep it. Consider it a thank you for savin' my life." Riri smiled softly. Soul nodded slowly, leaving the bracelet on her wrist.

"I don't think it's weird, by the way." Riri mumbled admittedly. Soul looked up, being caught off guard by Riri's confession. "After a while I kinda caught on to you. I was gonna stop goin' there when I realized you were there. But, I went back every night anyways. Most of the things I'd say were to see if I could get any reaction outta you." Soul raised her brows, recalling some very inappropriate things Riri said.

"I know, I'm sorry that was really outta pocket," Riri apologized with a small smile. Soul chuckled and shook her head softly, "It's okay. I didn't understand half of it anyways. So did you know I was there that night? Ya know when I sent the dolphin up there?" Soul scratched the back of her neck nervously. "I kinda had an idea it was you. But I didn't know the dolphin was you until Shuri told me." Riri admitted with a slight chuckle.

After a few moments of silence, Riri broke it. "So whatchu gon' do 'bout yo pops?" Riri asked, nervous for Soulina. Riri caught onto Soulina's silence and shook her head, "You ain't gonna go to him, right?"

Soul pursed her lips, unsure what to say. "Soul, you can't go back there." Riri protested.

"I-I have to, he's my dad. I need to understand why he would do this to me," Soul spoke quietly but Riri managed to pick up her words. Soul stood up and went to leave but Riri grabbed onto her hand, stopping her. "You comin' back right?" Ri asked.

Soul glanced down at their hands and back to Riri, "Yeah, I'll come back." Soul nodded reassuringly. Riri nodded and let go of Soulina's hand, surprisingly it was very soft.

Soul walked out, fiddling with her fingers nervously. Nakia noticed Soulina and jogged towards her, "Hey. Soulina, right?" Nakia smiled.

Soul looked up at her, "Yeah," she mumbled. She was a bit on edge as Nakia had been the one to literally shoot her.

"I just wanted to apologize for shooting you." Nakia said.

"Oh, well uh it's okay. I gotta though, so bye." Soul offered a small smile before walking past Nakia.

"Awkward," Soul mumbled.

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a.n: ouuu yall ain't ready for the heated argument between Namor and Soul 👩‍🦯 kiddinggg she's too pure to be mad 😁

riri and soul have my heart ♥ now we need a ship name

rilina (idk bout this one), roulina (meh), soulri (cute), soulriri (cute as well)

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