#aneka being the best sister in law she can be

[mickimomo]

Hear me out:

Attuma singing Die For You by the Weeknd to Okoye in the rain after getting in a really bad argument that gets him kicked out.

And maybe he goes above and beyond and has a few of his soldiers singing the chorus with him so that it sounds like an angel choir and it echoes throughout all of Wakanda.

He's hitting all the high notes and everything.

And it sounds so fucking good that Okoye has to open her window and she's just like- 😳 That's my man.

And of course Aneka has the whole thing recorded and she's dancing in the background with M'Baku and Ayo because she had him listen to the entire Starboy album while they were on patrol the other day. 🤣

Y'all need me to write a little blurb of my idea out like last time with W'Kabi? I need to know if you can see it.

[mickimomo]

Aneka:

"I popped over to fight crime and save the day... only to hear the new remix to Drunk In Love."

Attuma furrowed his eyebrows while Okoye glared holes in Aneka as her face burned in embarrassment. "What is drunk in love?"

"We be all night-"

"-ANEKA, PLEASE!"

Shuri chuckled as she watched Okoye scold Aneka.

Attuma once he figures out how to silence calls on Okoye’s kimoyo beads.

[nocek]

Ok I know it's a little bit late but turns out my big Okoye rant just has to be written down or it will keep bothering me. So here we go. Screaming into the void.

The thing is I like Okoye and I think she had nice thing going on in Wakanda Forever. That is up until the point that her plot threads were axed midway and rest of it was given to Nakia of all people? Which sucks for both of them. So in this essay....

The first Black Panther movie build her up nicely as Lawful Neutral character. Which is rare and for me makes really interesting character. She dutifully followed the law when Killmonger took the throne and then just as dutifully was about to kill her husband when it was revealed the throne taking wasn't so lawful after all. Both of those choices were incredibly emotionally hard for her and actually quite rare storytelling wise. Which I loved. What is even better: on top of all that she wasn't punished by the narrative for being lawful instead of going after her heart.

Great! I really, really loved it. Especially when in the new movie they started to nicely build up on that to give her own little plot and character growth.

Well. Up to a point.

But lets focus on what they were clearly building up to.

Okoye loves Wakanda. It's her character virtue since she is Lawful Neutral. But at the same time loving it too much and too blindly is her character flaw.

Wakanda is the best and thus doesn't need to change.

First we saw it in Infinity War with a little side joke about opening Wakanda to the world meant maybe Starbucks and not, well... war.

In Wakanda Forever in one of the first scenes she tells Aneka to give back the daggers since spears are traditional weapon. Which, by virtue of being traditional, are better and it's not going to change on her watch.

For that, the obvious plot resolution would be that Okoye needs to open up to new things (particularly technology). Unfortunately, the thing is, they sort of did that in the movie but in the worst way possible (and I don't just mean that Midnight Angel armor is ugly, you are right sister. It's ugly af) but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Wakanda is the best and thus I'm the best.

Okoye is a bit full of herself, or to be more precise thinks others are not as good since they are not Wakandan. She assumes she can deal with Americans and duh, she is right. She can actually deal with them like nbd. So does it really count as being blinded by her own/ Wakandan awesomeness?

Yes. Yes it does. I love that she is confident in her skills and she has all the right to be but she also knew there is new unknown threat. It was overconfidence on her part to think she can deal with Talokans too.

And she got her ass handled to her in fair fight.

And she broke her promise to queen Ramonda and lost Shuri.

Consequences as plot resolution? It's more likely than you think.

Because yeah. That's where clearly her further plot was axed and given to Nakia (which could be whole other big rant but just so you know: she was done dirty here too). Because let's be real it would fit perfectly.

Classic plot. Hero gets overconfident. Fucks up. As consequence hero loses their privileges/status/whatever. So they go on a quest not to regain their privileges or prove themselves but to right their wrongs.

Often they initially want to prove themselves, but then they learn they need to fix their mistakes because it's a right thing to do. Just after that the narrative can reward them with actually-you-just-have-proven-yourself-plot-twist - here are your privileges back and then some.

In Okoye's sake we can even cut on the second part of that plot. She just goes on a quest to right her wrongs and to save the princess.

Rewrite of a rewritten plot?

So her first overall wrong was dismissal of new technology. Could be righted easily by going to Griot to ask it to help her locate Shuri. It's even still in the movie but instead it's Ramonda who talks with Griot. It shows Griot can locate Shuri, they just added little scene with Nakia doing spy stuff and talking to people because it's her forte.

It would even fit the underwater cave rescue scene better. Because the forceful solution of going in guns blazing would fit more Okoye's desperation. Nakia is a spy. She would be more level headed and just sneak in and out unnoticed. Moreover, since she is more caring people person she wouldn't just leave that one girl to die.

But hey. If they didn't do that they wouldn't have the excuse for war and to have whole second part of the movie and "big" action scene at the end. Which is sadly mandatory in Marvel movies.

But going back to Okoye before I get sidetracked too much.

Just a rewrite... please.

With that the last plot thread for her to resolve would be redo of the fight with Attuma.

And it could and SHOULD follow the classic plot of like Rocky and countless others:

Hero loses a fight

Hero trains some more/ learns new things

Hero wins second fight fair and square

but nooooooo

Instead of mixing it with with opening to new technologies plot - as in asking Griot to help her find weak spots of Talokans. Or even just upgrading her spear to be better in fight with another vibranium spear if you really need to go this way (and clearly don't have time for training montage in this bloated movie)...

nope. Instead we go sorry Okoye you are just too weak. Here, have an armor. Which ok ties to the same new technologies plot thread but at the same time is so damn insulting to Okoye and her skills.

Like really fucking insulting.

It's like going to Cap or Black Widow and saying you are cool with all the fancy kicks and all but lets be real here. You are to week to fight real super powered villains - here have an armor.

Would anyone do that? No. Because it's insulting and goes against what those characters are at their core. Even if they are "too weak" they still would win by their skill, their smarts, their cunning nature or just by their sheer stubbornness.

Because those are their cove virtues.

Because that's how storytelling works.

And just FYI I'm not shitting on characters actually using armors. Oh no. Tony or Riri would win by learning and then building smarter armor. Rhodey would win because he is a solider and for him the armor is just tool of the trade - it's just a tank he happens to wear. But for Okoye or Cap or Natasha or any other hand to hand badass fighter it would go against the very idea their character was built on. It would be plot breaking Deus Ex Machina solution. Everyone would be bitching that writers written themselves into a corner and found very unsatisfying plot resolution that doesn't work.

But since Okoye is a side character and this movie has way too much going on in general, it's just left as it is.

And I'm very salty about that.

[master-sass-blast]

Strong as Stone --Part Fifty-Four.

Hello hello!

Last time, we saw M’Baku and Okoye work on unpacking their new apartment --and saw how Okoye’s dealing with the stress of not being present on missions.

This time, we get to see the baby shower for M’Baku’s and Okoye’s baby!

This update is rated PG for: language. I can’t help myself.

Pairings: M’Baku x Okoye.

Taglist: @the-last-hair-bender, @skysynclair19

Sometimes, when you think everything has settled, the river will shift course and knock you completely off balance.

When it does, get back on your feet and do your best to take everything in stride.

 ***

 Two weeks later

“You look amazing!” Aneka said, a sunny smile on her face, as she embraced Okoye from the side. “I love your dress!”

“Thank you,” Okoye said with an equally sunny smile. “Most of my pants don’t fit anymore.”

She was just starting her last trimester, and even though the doctor had forewarned her that she’d still get bigger before giving birth, she still felt huge. She’d had to invest in tunics and dresses –and several of M’Baku’s shirts—because her old clothes didn’t fit anymore. Her back and chest ached, her feet hurt, and she was hungry most of the time.

But all of that didn’t seem to matter in the face of being surrounded by the people she loved most. She was in the Jabari lands with her friends and a few of M’Baku’s friends, M’Baku, Dewani, and Shuri –some of her biological family would come later—and they were finally celebrating her pregnancy privately.

Granted, the celebration paled to the baby shower that had been thrown for Nakia, but Okoye didn’t care. With the move, the slew of missions, and dealing with being pregnant, Okoye hadn’t wanted anything too over the top.

And, fortunately for her, M’Baku was happy to give her whatever she wanted.

“You look like you stuffed a watermelon under your skirt,” Ayo teased, corner of her mouth turning up as she hugged her friend.

“I feel like I have a watermelon attached to my body,” Okoye shot back. “My back is killing me.”

“Let’s get you sat down, then,” Djabi said, ushering Okoye towards the Lodge’s library. “No reason to make you overwork yourself.”

***

 “They recite prayers while burning incense and sage,” Okoye explained with a shrug; she’d had to receive another ritual blessing from the priestesses at the temple of Hanuman, and her friends were more than… a little curious about the whole process.

“And the spiritual leaders at the temple in Birnin Zana were okay with this?” Ayo asked, eyebrow raised.

“Not especially,” Okoye said. “My child is going to be the future Jabari chieftain, so some of the blessings and protection prayers are necessary to uphold the traditions and laws of the tribes. Besides, M’Baku and decided that we’d raise whatever children we wound up having with both our tribes’ beliefs long before I got pregnant.”

“It’s good that you can agree on everything,” Aneka said. “That kind of stuff is too important to just not discuss.”

“How’s the new apartment?” Djabi asked as she sipped at her tea.

“It’s good. We’re almost completely settled in; we just need to set up the nursery.”

Aneka grinned. “Well, hopefully we’ll all be able to help you with amassing some supplies tonight.”

“I’m sure you will.” Okoye let out a jaw-cracking yawn and sighed tiredly. “I missed coffee. I might go insane before the last two months are over.”

“You’ll make it,” Aneka said as she patted her friend’s hand. “It’ll be over before you know it, and then you can have all the coffee you want.”

“I want coffee now.”

“Look, call the Brazil mission a disaster all you want, but I had some of the best coffee there—”

Okoye threw a pillow at Djabi as her friend’s sentence broke off into peals of delighted laughter. “Shut the fuck up.”

…

 Okoye pressed her fist against her mouth. “That’s not good.”

Ayo grimaced as she stared into the fire crackling in the fireplace. “No. It’s not.”

The two women were alone in the library; Djabi and Aneka had left to go rest before Okoye’s biological family arrived for the baby shower, leaving Ayo to deliver some less than pleasant news to her General.

Apparently, during the whole process of securing the weapons cache and shipments in Brazil, they’d lost track of the HYDRA cell operating in Austria. The old base had been destroyed, according to Tony’s satellite recordings, with no traces as to where the villains had gone.

“It only reinforces the ‘goose chase’ idea,” Ayo pointed out.

“Maybe,” Okoye countered. “But they’ve lost a serious number of assets in the past few months. The data cache in South Korea, the weapons in Brazil and Australia… we’ve seriously impeded their reach and power.”

“Unless they have different assets they’re trying to protect,” Ayo suggested. “The Russian base is still active, apparently.”

“You think they have something there?”

“There’s no proof that the agents killed by Baron Zemo in Siberia were the last Winter Soldier sleeper cells. Or there aren’t more Black Widow operatives, active or dormant.” She paused for a moment. “Or it could just be nuclear warheads.”

Okoye’s mouth curled into a grim smirk. “That would be very appropriate for Russia.” She sighed. “I have to hope that we’re just running them down, and that they’re just trying to stay ahead of us.”

“One can only hope.” Ayo glanced over at her. “How is reconnecting with your biological family going?”

“Really good. My mother… apparently, she was a Dora Milaje, too.”

Ayo’s eyebrows went up. “Really? That’s incredible!”

Okoye nodded and smiled. “Maybe I’m just being silly, but I feel more connected to her now than I did before.”

“It’s not silly,” Ayo said with a shake of her head. “You’re following in her footsteps. What does M’Baku think of all of it?”

“He’s been supportive of me reconnecting with my family and learning more about my parents. He’s the one that encouraged me to reply to my aunt in the first place.”

“He’s wise.”

Okoye nodded. “He is. Speaking of family—” she grinned at her best friend “—M’Baku and I want to ask you, Aneka, and O’Chenga to be the godparents of our baby.”

Ayo’s eyes widened, and her mouth curved into a smile. “Aneka and O’Chenga would love that.”

“And you?”

She grinned. “I’d love that, too.”

***

 Okoye’s biological family arrived in the early evening –along with Shuri and Dewani, who had been spending time with Ramonda in the capitol—and the party officially kicked off.

Which mostly amounted to eating food, enjoying each other’s company, and exchanging various amusing anecdotes about raising children –most of which came from Okoye’s family (though M’Baku did share the joke he’d told about feeding Agent Ross to his “children,” which amused the Chief to no end).

In short, it was perfect.

“So, your entire tribe is composed of obligate vegetarians?” Baako asked over dinner.

M’Baku nodded. “There are a few exceptions for those with dietary needs or restrictions, but yes. It was one of the teachings of Hanuman, and we follow it to honor him.”

“Fascinating. How do you compensate for the shorter growing season and lack of arable land?”

“We have farming pods that sit between the gorges and crevasses formed by the mountain ranges,” Dewani explained. “They’re equipped to simulate a normal growing season during the end of winter and preserve the crops towards the end of the harvest season. That, and we put a lot of work and capital into agricultural engineering.”

Nyarai frowned. “How… how do you get the pods up there –and keep them up?”

“We’ll show you before you leave,” M’Baku promised. “It’s easier to explain when you can see what we’re talking about.”

Once they were done eating, they moved back into the library –and then the presents came out.

Most of it was supplies –baby clothes, diapers, bottles, toys, whatever they might need on their impending journey as new parents.

There were a few… stand outs, though.

Case in point, Dewani was all too delighted when Okoye opened her gift to reveal a set of state of the art, sound cancelling headphones.

“I’m sure I’ll be using these regularly,” Okoye said between chuckles. “Oh, wait, there’s something else…” She frowned. “What…”

“It’s a nose plug,” Dewani supplied eagerly. “For when M’Baku’s snoring keeps you up.”

Okoye smirked as the rest of the room broke out into laughter –and as M’Baku shot his sister a playful glare. “Oh, I’ll use this now.” She set the headphones and nose plug aside, then reached for Ayo’s gift. “Alright, last one.”

“Bear in mind that it isn’t for now,” Ayo said as Okoye tore open the wrapping paper. “It’s for after the baby is born.”

Okoye sighed as she withdrew a bag of dark roast Brazilian coffee. “No, definitely not for now.”

“You can have a cup as soon as the baby’s born.” Ayo smiled. “I thought you’d like to have a bag of the good stuff on hand.”

“I do. Thank you, Ayo.” Okoye set the bag down, then sat back against the couch. “Well, thank you, everyone—”

Before she could say anything else, she was cut off by loud chirping from her kimoyo beads.

Across from her, Ayo’s and Aneka’s beads started chirping as well.

Okoye fought the urge to grimace as a rush of dread coursed through her, settling in a tight knot in her chest. Bast… please…

It was an alert from Natasha –about a terror attack in Austria that had been facilitated by HYDRA.

Okoye’s face creased into a scowl. “Shit.”

 ***

 “The Avengers are on the ground already, doing damage control and tracking down the cell’s location. We’ll be flying in with Adesina to finish taking them out.”

The party had quickly drawn to a close after the alert from Natasha. M’Baku, Dewani, and Shuri had taken Okoye’s family out to see the growing pod so that Okoye, Ayo, Djabi, and Aneka could confer on the situation before Ayo and Aneka headed out.

Okoye sighed and nodded. “Good. There’s already a lot of press coverage on the situation, so be careful. We don’t want to look like we’re infringing on another nation’s sovereignty.”

Ayo nodded. “Yes, General.”

“We need to leave now,” Djabi said, expression somber. “The Avengers are waiting for our help.”

“I contacted the palace,” Aneka added. “Adesina’s ready and waiting.”

“Alright.”

Okoye clasped Ayo’s shoulder when her second-in-command hesitated. “Go. It’s okay.”

Ayo grimaced, then hugged Okoye briefly. “I’ll keep you updated on how everything goes.”

“Good. Thank you.” She exchanged hugs with Djabi and Aneka, then crossed her arms over her chest and sighed as she watched her friends walk out of the Great Lodge. Just when things seem to settle down…

[mickimomo]

Attuma with the babies - part 1

Listen. I just know Attuma is an extremely involved and supportive husband when it comes to raising his and Okoye's kids.

So just come with me as I write out a few thoughts.

This is based in The Sun & The Sky AU. 💓

My thoughts:

The first time Attuma held the twins, he cried. They were so small and precious. From the moment he saw them, he knew that he'd destroy any and every threat that dared to trouble them. Okoye was given many soft kisses and praises for bringing their kids into the world too. Gentle massages, careful assistance with bathing, and homemade meals. You know, all the good stuff. Anything to help her as she healed and rested. Gotta make sure his sun is shining too. 😌

Anytime their babies would cry, he'd sprint to the scene to hold them and soothe them. Okoye is often impressed by how in tune he is with the twins. Sometimes it seems like he's able to sense their distress before they make an audible cry. Even in the midst of his slumber, he'll wake up and go check on their two bundles of joy.

Whenever Okoye has to breastfeed them, he's there helping and being supportive. Whether he's rubbing her back. Holding her so that she's able to rest in his arms. Or feeding her because she's a bit hungry and her arms are full. He read a lot of books while she was pregnant, so he's constantly rubbing her down with salves he read about to make sure she's never sore after breastfeeding and that she's eating properly to keep producing milk.

And as Okoye begins to observe the changes to her body, postpartum, Attuma is always boosting her head up. She doesn't even get a chance to think any less of herself. He's always praising her, drowning her in love, and gifting her things so that she knows she's just as special as their babies. He'll take care of the kids, so that she can go train a little or have some alone time. He'll even plan little picnic dates for them in the living room, while the twins are sleeping, so the romance stays alive. 🥺 He'll bring her home flowers and a baked treat, every time he comes home from patrolling. Eager to relieve her of any stress, she may be feeling from taking care of the twins all day by herself.

Whenever Okoye is napping, he's always walking around with the babies wrapped securely to his torso. Ever since Aneka showed him how to wrap the babies securely and wear them- he saw it while out and wished to learn- he does it as often as he can. He's a proud father. The twins are his pride and the fruits of his love. Why wouldn't he keep them close?

Everyone finds it cute. Such a large and intimidating man wearing two little babies.

Yes, Aneka and Namora take pictures and send them to Okoye. Shuri has been working on building a super cool stroller to earn the title of Auntie of the Year. It's a hard competition with RiRi in the lab. To their dismay, Oni manages to one up them by giving Attuma more patterned wraps made with a longer and stretchier cloth. (Attuma will carry his babies until they are 4. And even then. He'd just move on to piggyback rides. 😭 He feels that they are safer when they are close. 🥺 But he has to get more creative as he and Okoye's family grows. Imagine him with 12 kids wrapped around him. 💀 Jk. 12 kids is my running joke. It does not have to be canon.)

"Man- I know we didn't just get one upped by a piece of fabric." RiRi scowled as Oni and Attuma talked.

Namora was proud of her wife, shooting a small glare at RiRi. "You did. Accept it."

"Those praises do not fall on you. You're just as crappy of an aunt as us." RiRi huffed before laughing when Namora gently nudged her and rolled her eyes.

"He's a simple man." Shuri groaned. "I should have listened to K'uk'ulkan."

"He'll come around." Aneka gently pet them on the back. "You're crazy if you think he's only having two kids with udade. Your inventions will come in handy eventually."

"She is right." Namora hummed. "We all aspire to have big families."

The funny thing about Attuma wearing the twins is that they are so small that they're both able to be strapped to the front of his chest. As they get older, the less chaotic of the twins get to chill in the front. (They don't try to grab ingredients or kick things while he'd cooking. Safety first people.) It's okay. He often gives his toddler on his back pieces of cut fruit to keep their spirits lifted and help them feel involved.

Okoye is always amused to see him talking to the twins while cooking and running errands, even though they're tiny and unable to process what he's saying.

"We are making K'iin food. K'iin means sun." He whispered. "K'iin is your mother. Na' is how you say mother." He'd remind them. "We must make sure she stays bright and healthy." He'd say as he chopped up some ingredients. "So we are making her soup to help her heal, because having two babies took a toll on her. She needs lots of food and rest so that she can continue to be the best mother she already is to both of you." He smiled behind his rebreather. "We will start by cutting up these carrots-"

"Ah." One of the babies would sound out.

"-Yes." He'd grin before pressing a soft kiss into the infant's head. "And we'll add onions, peppers, and chicken. Na' like corn, so we have to add it too."

Sometimes he'll sing to them in mayan. It's not a tune that's laced with strong suggestions like the one he'd drown his enemies with. It's often a song his mother would hum to him when he was small. Something he was happy to pass down to his own children.

And that concludes Part 1. ♡

p.s. I feel like the first set of twins would be identical boys. And they'd end up being mama boys (in a healthy way), because Attuma raised them to respect women. 😤 So, yeah.

[xblackreader]

This is how I imagine him with Xyanza and Tadeas until they learn to walk …

He’s definitely the parent who spoils the children 😭😭 anything they want and anything his K’iino wants 😭 his kids will grow up knowing how much their father adores their mother 🩵🧎🏾‍♀️ I’m devastated

Attuma with the babies - part 1

Listen. I just know Attuma is an extremely involved and supportive husband when it comes to raising his and Okoye's kids.

So just come with me as I write out a few thoughts.

This is based in The Sun & The Sky AU. 💓

My thoughts:

The first time Attuma held the twins, he cried. They were so small and precious. From the moment he saw them, he knew that he'd destroy any and every threat that dared to trouble them. Okoye was given many soft kisses and praises for bringing their kids into the world too. Gentle massages, careful assistance with bathing, and homemade meals. You know, all the good stuff. Anything to help her as she healed and rested. Gotta make sure his sun is shining too. 😌

Anytime their babies would cry, he'd sprint to the scene to hold them and soothe them. Okoye is often impressed by how in tune he is with the twins. Sometimes it seems like he's able to sense their distress before they make an audible cry. Even in the midst of his slumber, he'll wake up and go check on their two bundles of joy.

Whenever Okoye has to breastfeed them, he's there helping and being supportive. Whether he's rubbing her back. Holding her so that she's able to rest in his arms. Or feeding her because she's a bit hungry and her arms are full. He read a lot of books while she was pregnant, so he's constantly rubbing her down with salves he read about to make sure she's never sore after breastfeeding and that she's eating properly to keep producing milk.

And as Okoye begins to observe the changes to her body, postpartum, Attuma is always boosting her head up. She doesn't even get a chance to think any less of herself. He's always praising her, drowning her in love, and gifting her things so that she knows she's just as special as their babies. He'll take care of the kids, so that she can go train a little or have some alone time. He'll even plan little picnic dates for them in the living room, while the twins are sleeping, so the romance stays alive. 🥺 He'll bring her home flowers and a baked treat, every time he comes home from patrolling. Eager to relieve her of any stress, she may be feeling from taking care of the twins all day by herself.

Whenever Okoye is napping, he's always walking around with the babies wrapped securely to his torso. Ever since Aneka showed him how to wrap the babies securely and wear them- he saw it while out and wished to learn- he does it as often as he can. He's a proud father. The twins are his pride and the fruits of his love. Why wouldn't he keep them close?

Everyone finds it cute. Such a large and intimidating man wearing two little babies.

Yes, Aneka and Namora take pictures and send them to Okoye. Shuri has been working on building a super cool stroller to earn the title of Auntie of the Year. It's a hard competition with RiRi in the lab. To their dismay, Oni manages to one up them by giving Attuma more patterned wraps made with a longer and stretchier cloth. (Attuma will carry his babies until they are 4. And even then. He'd just move on to piggyback rides. 😭 He feels that they are safer when they are close. 🥺 But he has to get more creative as he and Okoye's family grows. Imagine him with 12 kids wrapped around him. 💀 Jk. 12 kids is my running joke. It does not have to be canon.)

"Man- I know we didn't just get one upped by a piece of fabric." RiRi scowled as Oni and Attuma talked.

Namora was proud of her wife, shooting a small glare at RiRi. "You did. Accept it."

"Those praises do not fall on you. You're just as crappy of an aunt as us." RiRi huffed before laughing when Namora gently nudged her and rolled her eyes.

"He's a simple man." Shuri groaned. "I should have listened to K'uk'ulkan."

"He'll come around." Aneka gently pet them on the back. "You're crazy if you think he's only having two kids with udade. Your inventions will come in handy eventually."

"She is right." Namora hummed. "We all aspire to have big families."

The funny thing about Attuma wearing the twins is that they are so small that they're both able to be strapped to the front of his chest. As they get older, the less chaotic of the twins get to chill in the front. (They don't try to grab ingredients or kick things while he'd cooking. Safety first people.) It's okay. He often gives his toddler on his back pieces of cut fruit to keep their spirits lifted and help them feel involved.

Okoye is always amused to see him talking to the twins while cooking and running errands, even though they're tiny and unable to process what he's saying.

"We are making K'iin food. K'iin means sun." He whispered. "K'iin is your mother. Na' is how you say mother." He'd remind them. "We must make sure she stays bright and healthy." He'd say as he chopped up some ingredients. "So we are making her soup to help her heal, because having two babies took a toll on her. She needs lots of food and rest so that she can continue to be the best mother she already is to both of you." He smiled behind his rebreather. "We will start by cutting up these carrots-"

"Ah." One of the babies would sound out.

"-Yes." He'd grin before pressing a soft kiss into the infant's head. "And we'll add onions, peppers, and chicken. Na' like corn, so we have to add it too."

Sometimes he'll sing to them in mayan. It's not a tune that's laced with strong suggestions like the one he'd drown his enemies with. It's often a song his mother would hum to him when he was small. Something he was happy to pass down to his own children.

And that concludes Part 1. ♡

p.s. I feel like the first set of twins would be identical boys. And they'd end up being mama boys (in a healthy way), because Attuma raised them to respect women. 😤 So, yeah.