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A knock on the wall drew Namor from his silent thoughts and he turned to look at Namora who had been the one to knock. "Yes?" Namor raised a brow as he looked back to his unfinished painting of Monsella. "Attuma was at the river and for the first time in a month...Soulina wasn't there," Namora spoke.

K'uk'ulkan sighed and dabbed his brush into the black paint. "So, what does that mean?" He asked.

"We're not sure. Attuma thinks she may be with the surface woman, or the princess," Namora explained.

"i xuamfp'v vjopl vuu nadj up vjev, muse." (translation: I wouldn't think too much on that, Mora) Namora and K'uk'ulkan both turned around hearing the princess speak. Namora furrowed her brows, unsure what Soul had said as she didn't understand Aquan. But K'uk'ulkan did. He couldn't help but let a little smile tug on his lips as he looked at her.

"Can we talk, please?" Soul requested, speaking Mayan so Namora understood. Namora sighed and went to walk out but pulled the shorter girl into a hug that Soul returned. "Sorry for cutting you and trying to kill your friend," Mora whispered into Soulina's ear before pulling away. "We'll talk about it later, Mora," Soul replied and Mora walked about as requested.

After a few seconds of silence, Soul walked over to the unfinished painting and smiled fondly. Her mother appeared to be in a long sheer traditional Talokan dress. The background was completely black but looked as though she was standing in water at the same time. Her smile was the same bright comforting smile she always held, similar to Soulina's. K'uk'ulkan always made sure to get every single detail right. Soul was grateful for that. She didn't know if she would even still be able to remember her mother's face had her father never painted.

"You sent her to me, didn't you?" K'uk'ulkan questioned in Aquan instead of Mayan.

Soul blinked profusely, taken back by him speaking Aquan. The last time he spoke Aquan was at Monsella's funeral and that was to say goodbye. "No, she found you on her own." Soul lied.

K'uk'ulkan shook his head and turned to look at her, "Do not lie to me, Lina. If your mother came me to me on her own she would've done it a long time ago. She came to me because of you."

"Maybe there was a reason she never came to you." Soul couldn't help but wince as she finished the sentence. She didn't know why she said it but it just came out, and maybe it was the truth.

"I deserve that," K'uk'ulkan mumbled.

"No, no, I'm sorry, you don't." Soul spoke before he could get another word in. K'uk'ulkan looked to her in surprise and she sighed. "I've always been so focused on bein' mad at you for keepin' me here that I never really paid attention to why you did. You didn't want your daughter to have the same fate as your wife, I get that now. And you've always been such a good father to me, and I'm sorry for not seein' that sooner." Soul wiped her tears and continued, her eyes focused on the painting but his eyes were on her.

"You were right. I belong in Talokan. It's a cruel world, and I certainly wouldn't be able to survive up there. I can't live in a place where I'm not able to be myself. All because humans are scared of different, they feel threatened by people like us. And I saw that with the Wakandans. The way they looked at me...reality finally hit me. The ocean is my home, and I've accepted that. I understand why you kept me from them, papa. All you wanted was to protect me." By the end of her statement, Soul had already wrapped her arms around her father, tears spilling from her eyes and he held her gently.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Soul cried, her knees becoming weak as she then fell but he was quick to catch her and hold her crying body on the floor. Tears fell from his own eyes as he pressed a kiss to her head. "I don't wanna be a horrible daughter, I'm sorry. I don't want us to be mad at each other."

"You're the best daughter I could ask for, I wouldn't want you any other way. I'm not mad at you, I was never mad at you, mija." K'uk'ulkan comforted, running his hand down her red locs. "How could you say that when I wanted to help kill you? How can you still love me after all that?" Soul wiped her tears as she looked up at K'uk'ulkan.

"Soulina, nothing in this world could make me stop loving you. You're my daughter, and no matter what you do, or say, I will still love you in the end." Soul looked down, unable to forgive herself for the things she said and did. She couldn't understand why K'uk'ulkan was so quick to forgive her, she couldn't even forgive herself. I mean she literally called him by his name after saying she hated him...that was usually something most kids get slapped for saying to their parents. (i would know 😭🏃‍♀️)

K'uk'ulkan sighed, already knowing what she was thinking. He didn't want her to be in any kind of pain, and he definitely didn't want her blaming herself. She had lots of rights for what she said. "You were acting out of anger, and that's understandable. I shouldn't have said the things I said to you. I'm sorry for hurting you, Lina. I would say it wasn't my intention...but in the moment, it was. I don't want you blaming yourself."

"Did you mean it?" Soul asked after a few moments of silence. "Mean what?" He asked, brushing her hair from her face.

"Did you mean what you said about Riri- or I mean, the scientist?" Soul asked, correcting herself as she didn't want it to seem like herself and Riri were close.

It had been three months since they even seen each other and talked. Shuri had been begging Soul to just talk to her already. She was tired of hearing both women talk about each other constantly to her. She just needed them to kiss and make up and leave her alone. Bast knew she was tired of these women. They made her happy she was single. It didn't help that Riri would call Shuri complaining that Soul was never at the river anymore. And when Soul would barge into Shuri's room telling her everything Riri said and did when she went to the river. She didn't know how both of them could be so oblivious.

Sayin' she was tired of them was an understatement if we bein' honest.

K'uk'ulkan let out a sigh, bringing Soul out of her thoughts about Riri. "Look, Lina, I didn't approve of you being with a surface woman, and I still kind of don't. But, I remember when your grandparents didn't approve of me, and Monsella still snuck out to be with me anyways. So, no matter if I disapprove of this girl, you'll still see her anyways. And all I want is for you to live your life the way you want and be happy. Whether that's here in Talokan, or on the surface world with the scientist, or the princess." He said, adding Shuri as Mora and Atumma said that they had been flirting.

"Oh my god, why does everyone think I like the princess?!" Soul exclaimed, cringing when she thought of it.

K'uk'ulkan chuckled and she frowned. "If you didn't flirt with her so much then maybe we wouldn't." He shrugged and Soul hit his shoulder. K'uk'ulkan winced, pretending her hit hurt him. Soul chuckled and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Honesty, the Princess is more like a sister of anything now. I understand why mama liked her so much. But lord, she can get on my nerves," Soul huffed, remembering uno night.

"That's good that you two are close, your mother would love that." K'uk'ulkan mumbled against her hair before pressing a kiss to her head with a smile.

"Speaking of mama, what did she say to you?" Soul asked, looking up at him.

"Nothing you need to worry about." He said and Soul rolled her eyes, sticking her tongue out at him. "We can catch up more later but right now, go tell Namora to fix up your hair. Mama would kill me if she seen it get like this." K'uk'ulkan brought her to stand up as she sighed wanting to spend more time with him. It had been the longest she'd ever went without talking or seeing him.

"It's not that bad," Soul frowned. K'uk'ulkan went to speak until he stopped himself seeing Soulina's necklace blink hysterically.

"Yes it is. Listen to your father."

"You're only supposed to talk when it's something important." Soul shot back, knowing Monsella could hear but got no response. Instead the seashell sent a small shock to Soul, making her wince.
Soul rolled her eyes and K'uk'ulkan gave her a pointed look. "How do I turn a seashell off?" Soul mumbled to herself in Spanish as she walked out of the painting room to find Namora.

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"I just don't understand why she hasn't called me yet." Soul said, having been ranting to Namora as she retwisted the mermaid's long red locs. "Well, why haven't you called her?" Attuma spoke up from where he sat in the corner of the room on a hammock.

Soul looked at him with a glare but Namora moved her head back. "I shouldn't have to call her, I gave her the seashell...that was a hint!" Soul exclaimed in frustration. "You're so entitled," Attuma mumbled under his breath.

"Shut up, you stupid bâtonnet de!" Soul insulted in French.

"Did you just call me a fishstick in French?" Attuma deadpanned.

"Yes, and?" Soul rolled her eyes and he scoffed at her attitude. "This girl has you talking like an American and I don't like it." Uma shook his head in disapproval and Namora grabbed the brush nearby and threw it at him, effectively hitting him in the head. "Ow! What was that for?!"

"You can't talk when you learned Xhosa just to impress that Wakandan warrior," Namora shot back and he went silent.

Soul gaped, looking in between Mora and Uma. "No way, you mean Okoye?" Soul asked. Mora nodded and turned Soulina's head back.

"That's her name?" Attuma perked up, sitting up slightly in the hammock to look at the mermaid. Soul raised a brow, "Uma, you do know she's married, yes?" Mora's eyes widened slightly but she made no comment and continued to do Soulina's hair.

Attuma squinted his eyes not knowing if he should care or not. "Ba'ax bey u?"

Soul gaped, "You can't be a home wrecker, Uma! Riri told me that's bad," Soul informed.

"She had to tell you it's bad for you to know it's bad?" Mora chuckled in amusement and Soul rolled her eyes. "It doesn't seem bad but apparently it is," Soul shrugged. "That's because you've been single all your life, so you wouldn't know anything," Namora said with a scoff.

Soul looked down at her lap with a visible frown. "Says the one who can't make things official with Selya," Soul mumbled with pettiness. Attuma laughed as Namora hit Soul's head. Selya had been a woman Namora had been with since they were in school together. Selya had been hinting marriage for years and Namora had yet to make the move on it. Attuma and Soulina teased her constantly for it. Namor himself would even add some comments on the topic.

"So...is this, so called husband...a good one?" Attuma asked, raising a brow. Soul and Namora both turned to look at him, judgemental looks on their faces. "What?" Attuma raised his brows wanting an answer.

"I'm not sure, I haven't even met the guy. Every time she was around, he wasn't." Soul shrugged. "Does she mention him much?" Attuma questioned.

"Uhh not really. She mentioned a divorce once but I don't think it meant much." Soul explained with a small shrug. Attuma hummed at the information and Soul turned her head to look at him in suspicion. "What are you planning?" Soul squinted her eyes.

Attuma pursed his lips, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Well, it involves you, and those beads you wear," Attuma gestured at the Kimoyo Beads around Soulina's wrist. Namora shook her head not even wanting to get involved but she knew she'd be dragged in either way. Namora patted Soulina's shoulder signaling she was finished with the mermaids hair.

Soul hummed and ran over to her mirror, she ran her hands through it and smiled. "I love it. Thanks Mora," Soul ran over and hugged Namora who smiled and returned it.

Soul turned back to Attuma who was waiting for her imput. "Okay, whats your little plan?"

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a.n: family bonding ugh <3 ☺️

what would we think of a shuri book with a similar plot to this one? and fc would be chloe bailey

also, no one spoil quantumania, i haven't seen it yet!!

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