#n’jobu

[kisssssssssssss]

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Yalllllll have yall seent that David Yurman got the Daddy and the Son

[tchallasbabymama]

How Ramonda Got Her Groove Back: Part One

Hey, y’all! It’s been a while since I last posted a story on here, but I’m trying to get back into the routine after taking a new position at my job. So, without further ado, here’s the first chapter of my Ramonda story. Please leave feedback in the form of comments and reblogs, and let me know if you want to be tagged in anything! Here’s a link to my masterlist so you can read my other stories as well. Enjoy 😘

Word Count: 5,594

Queen Ramonda didn't shed a single salty tear when the news of her husband’s death reached her ears. She had always been known as a fierce and unshakable ruler, and she refused to allow T’Chaka’s departure from this plane to tarnish her reputation. After all, despite the loss, she felt a tiny bit of relief knowing her reign had ended. 

Ramonda never wanted to be queen, but what other choice is there when one falls in love with a king? She had entered T’Chaka’s life at the precise moment when he had finally let go of his departed wife, and she took to him and his young son, T’Challa, immediately. Shortly after, they were married, and a few years later, Ramonda found herself carrying his secondborn. Though Ramonda wouldn’t give up being T’Challa and Shuri’s mother for the world, there were many days when she longed for freedom from the palace. She often stared at the far-off Jabari mountains and wondered what mysteries they held. Whenever T’Chaka would take her with him on diplomatic trips out of the country, Ramonda gladly went with him, just happy to get out of the confines of her home.

However, Ramonda would never forget the first time T’Chaka left the country after they met. At the time, she believed him to be hunting down Klaue for his thievery, but now she knew the truth. Now, she could no longer think of her husband without bile rising in her throat. His actions that day resulted in a decades-long grudge against Wakanda and the Udaku clan by one of their own. One who had been abandoned by his own family, by T’Chaka. The king had killed his brother, N’Jobu, in cold blood and left his young son behind to fend for himself. Never mind that he had a son himself, and never mind that the child he abandoned was family… apparently, none of that mattered.

T’Chaka took the secret of what happened that night to his grave. He had N’Jobu declared Missing in Action and went about his life as if everything was normal. It wasn’t until after T’Chaka’s death that N’Jobu’s son arrived and turned Wakanda on its head. N’Jadaka was the name his parents gave him, but the U.S. military called him “Killmonger.” A horrible name for a man capable of doing horrible things.

When Killmonger challenged T’Challa for the throne, Ramonda felt her gut twist in the way it usually did when something didn’t feel right. She had all the faith in the world in her son, but the hatred in Killmonger’s eyes told her everything he needed to know: the man was dangerous. Though he certainly wanted power, he wasn’t fighting because of greed. He was fighting out of grief and hatred, which made him destructive. Killmonger didn’t just want what T’Challa had; he wanted to make him and all his loved ones feel the same pain he had felt for years.

The unshakable queen shattered into pieces the second that Killmonger lifted T’Challa’s limp body onto his shoulders and tossed him over the falls. She held on tight to her daughter as Nakia ushered them to safety in the Jabari mountains. The very mountains Ramonda had longed to visit one day under different circumstances.

Bast had been looking out for her that day because when they arrived in Lord M’Baku’s throne room, he was not the dreadful man she assumed him to be. He had a sense of humor about him, but more importantly, he was an honorable man.

As it turned out, T’Challa’s body had washed ashore just beyond the Jabari’s borders, and M’Baku had his healers taking care of him as best they could. Ramonda resuscitated him using a heart-shaped herb that the king’s paramour Nakia had snatched before they went on the run. Not even an hour later, T’Challa was already planning his march back down the mountain. He expected Ramonda to leave Wakanda for her protection, but she refused. Instead, T’Challa settled on ensuring his mother’s safety within the walls of the Jabari palace. 

“Mama, I need you to stay here. To stay safe,” he said, throwing off his hooded blanket and allowing the dark fibers of the Black Panther suit to escape from his necklace, covering his body.

Ramonda pursed her lips disapprovingly but held her tongue. She was no longer in the fighting shape of her younger years, so Ramonda decided to heed his word.

“Very well, then,” she conceded with a sigh and placed her hand against his cheek. Her eyes were weighed down with grief and fatigue but still so full of love for her only son. “Send for me the moment you unseat him.”

“I will, mama. I promise.” T’Challa kissed her hands before reaching out for his little sister and his love to join them. Nakia’s hand found its way into his, and their fingers naturally intertwined in the way they had for years.

Shuri squeezed in between her loved ones and held them close. Ever the optimist, she sent words of encouragement into the universe, knowing deep in her heart that her brother would be victorious this time, “This will all be over soon.”

---------

Ramonda stood at the wide open doors of the Jabari palace and waved her children goodbye. She held the Border tribe blanket close to her body as she watched them travel down the mountain until they disappeared out of view around a rocky ledge. Even then, Ramonda stood there, her eyes glued on the sight of her home in the distant valley as she prayed for peace. Peace for her people, peace for her family, and peace for herself. The latter was already in short supply and became downright scarce when she heard a throat clear behind her.

“Queen Mother Ramonda-”

“You hypocrite,” she spat, whipping around on her heels and facing M’Baku. 

Her tone gobsmacked the near-giant.

“Excuse me?”

“My son went to you for help, and you refused him.”

“I have helped enough.” He waved her off with a roll of his eyes. “The Black Panther lives, does he not?”

“Three days ago, you wanted Wakanda for yourself, and now you pretend you do not care about what happens to it. You are just throwing a tantrum because you failed!”

M’Baku glared down at Ramonda, standing almost a foot shorter than his massive frame, her finger pushed into his chest accusingly.

“Show the queen to her quarters,” he hissed through gritted teeth before storming down the hall towards the throne room, barking orders at every guard he passed.

A broad-shouldered man with a hefty build stepped forward from against the far wall, his grass and leather skirts rustling with each step he took. Ramonda recognized him from Challenge Day, but his eyes were softer this time around. The first time she saw him, he wore the hardened facade of a warrior ready for battle, but this time with his brows relaxed and a soft smile on his face, his warmth shone through. 

He wasn’t warm enough to melt the icy daggers coming from Ramonda’s eyes, though.

“Right this way, Queen Mother.” 

He gestured for her to follow him, and she stared blankly at him. Just as his eyebrows creased and he began to speak up, she stepped forward, passing him by as she hastened towards what she now knew to be the residential side of the palace. Her speed took the guard by surprise, but he caught up to her quickly with his long strides. 

Ramonda held her blanket tight around her shoulders and unsuccessfully willed her body to stop shivering as they walked through the winding palace halls. Artisans had carved the impressive structure out of the mountainside long ago, and she distracted herself from the chill by admiring the architecture. Jabari wood featured prominently in the palace’s design, and she wondered if all of Jabariland was so beautiful.

“There will be furs waiting for you to change into,” the guard remarked, breaking her train of thought. “Much warmer than that flimsy sheet.”

Ramonda pressed her lips together and cut her eyes at him.

“How much farther?”

He fought a smirk when he noticed her nose was beginning to run.

“Too cold for you?” he asked teasingly.

“This climate is uninhabitable for humankind,” Ramonda huffed.

The guard chuckled, and the sound grated against Ramonda’s eardrums. Rather than continue their back-and-forth, she chose to conserve her energy and focus on not freezing to death before she could see her children again. She thought of the sun and imagined its warm rays beaming down on her skin. Memories of taking Shuri and T’Challa to play in the river when they were young filled her mind and brought her physical and emotional comfort. 

Ramonda was lost in her thoughts when moments later, she noticed they had begun climbing a winding wooden staircase with massive glass windows along the side so they could view the entirety of Jabariland during their ascent. Her breath hitched in her throat, and her eyes grew wide at the soft blanket of white that covered the entire territory. 

The guard chuckled again, and she tore her eyes away from the wintry wonderland outside, only to see a sly smirk on his face.

“And just what is so amusing?” she asked, making his smirk spread into an almost smile.

“I have never before seen Jabariland through the eyes of an outsider.”

Ramonda’s defensiveness slipped away. She understood what he meant. After all, Wakanda had been an isolationist nation as well, and although she never got to share her homeland with anyone from the outside, she often thought about what it would be like to do so.

“I must admit, you have a beautiful homeland… though the frigid temperature leaves plenty to be desired,” she complimented him backhandedly as she continued up the stairs.

“I prefer it to the suffocating heat that you lowlanders live in,” he retorted, taking a left at the landing and leading her down yet another hallway. Ramonda’s face scrunched up at his words, not liking how derogatory they sounded, but before she could comment, he continued, “Well, here we are.”

The guard reached out his massive hand and turned the knob on the intricately carved wooden door, and Ramonda was shocked again. Being a queen, she was used to luxury. However, she was pleasantly surprised that her definition of quarters fit for a queen matched the Jabari’s. A large canopy bed covered in warm-looking blankets called to Ramonda, but the centerpiece of the suite, a raging fireplace, had her moving on auto-pilot toward the heat.

“A guard will be stationed outside your door if you need anything,” he said, and she turned around to face him, her hands warming by the flames.

“A different guard?” she asked.

“Yes. This was my final duty for today.”

Ramonda nodded.

“Very well then. Enkosi…”

“Kodjo, your highness.”

“Enkosi, Kodjo.”

“You are most welcome.”

He lowered his head in a respectful bow and closed the door behind himself, leaving Ramonda alone in her palace quarters with views of the entire province. She tore herself away from the fireplace and stepped towards the floor-to-ceiling windows surrounding the space. Under different circumstances, the view would have moved her to tears, but she averted her eyes before any could fall.

To her left, she noticed a doorway and decided to explore what was on the other side. As it turned out, it led to a spa-style bathroom and walk-in closet filled with Jabari leathers and furs sure to keep anybody warm in the glacial temperatures. Ramonda ran her fingers through the fluffy gray fibers of a fur shawl before snatching it off the hanger and wrapping it around her shoulders, dropping the Border tribe blanket in one swift movement. She settled into the fur and inhaled deeply to ground herself in its embrace. 

Without warning, Ramonda’s breath stuttered, and as her lungs began to feel full, tears flooded her eyes. She allowed them to fall since she was alone, and silent sobs wracked through her body as she fell to her knees on the closet floor.

The usually calm and collected queen allowed herself to feel the delayed emotional response from her head to her toes until her eyes ran dry, and she had no more emotion left to give. Ramonda slowly peeled herself off the closet floor and dragged herself to the rain shower. She removed her fur wrap, then her clothes, before stepping inside and letting the traumatic experience wash down the drain.

---------

As Kodjo made his way back through the palace, he couldn’t help but look forward to his night ahead. He’d have his loft to himself and already planned to take a long, hot bath to relax. His muscles hadn’t recovered from marching down and back up the mountain on Challenge Day, and he felt like he could collapse at any second. However, as he rounded the corner to the throne room, he surmised that his night wouldn’t go as planned.

M’Baku sat on his throne with his wife Tayesha standing in front of him, her hands on her curvaceous hips that had been spread by his offspring over the years. The chief’s head was in his hands, and the crease in his brow let Kodjo know he was deep in thought.

“My chief?” Kodjo asked, making himself known.

M’Baku looked up, but before he could speak, Tayesha whipped around.

“Kodjo, you should return to your post.”

“My chieftess, I was told someone else would take over.”

“Everyone else will be busy fighting alongside King T’Challa.”

Kodjo blinked in surprise and turned to M’Baku questioningly.

“My chief, you have changed your mind?”

“It seems I have,” M’Baku grumbled, pushing off from the armrests and standing to his full height.

“I would be more useful in battle, no?” Kodjo asked, looking between the two royals.

“We need you here protecting Ramonda in case the usurper tries to come for her,” Tayesha explained softly, her eyes regarding him with their usual warmth. 

Kodjo held his tongue and nodded respectfully at his chieftess despite the disappointment filling his body. Yes, he was exhausted, but the prospect of battle re-energized the warrior. Instead, he bowed his head as M’Baku lumbered past, obviously disgruntled at the decision Tayesha had somehow swayed him into. Kodjo couldn’t blame the chief for falling for his wife’s charms; she was exceptionally beautiful, but her inviting aura and the way she wielded her words could get anyone to do what she wanted. Especially her husband.

Tayesha breezed by Kodjo and caught up to M’Baku as he waited for her in the doorway and wrapped her arm around his bicep before allowing him to lead her to their quarters. The two statuesque leaders disappeared down the cavernous hallway, and Kodjo sighed before dragging his feet towards his post.

Everyone Kodjo passed on the way to the other side of the palace seemed giddy with the prospect of war before the announcement had even been made. He trudged his way to Ramonda’s door and glared at it with contempt before sucking his teeth.

“Lowlanders just had to bring trouble with them,” Kodjo grumbled before turning his back to the door and crossing his arms over his broad chest. He ignored the way his tired legs wanted to wobble under his body weight and stood tall like the soldier he was.

On the other side of that door, Ramonda lay in bed, curled up under a pile of blankets and furs, unable to turn her brain off long enough to take the nap she so desperately needed. Her mind raced with anxiety as she pictured the worst-case scenario of what could happen to her children. She felt helpless so far away from all the action, but they couldn’t all be there at once for safety purposes. 

Even as her eyes gazed out over the wintry wonderland, she felt none of her usual intrigue for the mysterious mountain range. The circumstances made it difficult for her to appreciate finally visiting the lands she had dreamed of since she was a young girl. She had traveled the world with T’Chaka, but this treasure in her own backyard amazed her more than anywhere else she had been.

A loud horn sounded and broke her from her reminiscing with a start. Her heart thumped in her chest along with the large drums that began playing from seemingly every corner of Jabariland, and the usually graceful queen darted up from the bed, nearly stumbling over the sheets on her way to the window. She could see drummers on top of just about every building in the city, and as they played their tunes, the people rushed to the streets.

Ramonda hurried to her door and swung it open with all the force of a woman on a mission. She fully expected to see a stranger but was oddly comforted when she laid her eyes on Kodjo leaning against the wall across from her door.

“What is happening out there?” 

Kodjo heard her question, but his answer dissolved on his tongue. He was too entranced by the way her stark white locs hung wildly about her head, framing her fierce eyes and sharp cheekbones like the snow that fell in his homeland. His distraction didn’t last long, though, because a manicured hand snapped impatiently in his face, bringing his attention back to the situation at hand.

“Where is your replacement?” 

“Busy.”

Ramonda narrowed her eyes at his flippant response but continued her line of questioning.

“The drums. What are they for?”

“They are drums of war,” he responded with longing in his eyes, longing for the sweet taste of victory and for something else he hadn’t had in years.

Ramonda’s gut tightened, and her heart lurched into her throat. She thought that surely, the worst had come of her children, and Killmonger had brought the fight to Jabariland. Fear cemented her lips together and creased her brow, but her silence led Kodjo to believe she was displeased by his answer.

“Our mighty chief has decided to aid your son in battle,” he explained further.

Little did Kodjo know his words had quelled an internal storm raging inside Ramonda. She took a breath to give herself time to gather her words.

“Yes, well… I would like to be kept updated on the situation.”

“All we can do now is wait.”

“Wait?” she snipped.

“Yes… wait.”

Ramonda narrowed her eyes at his casual tone, but he simply stared blankly in return which angered her even more.

“Do you have children, Kodjo?” she asked, her tongue laced with poison as she said his name. He sensed her displeasure and straightened his posture as he realized he had overstepped with the royal.

“Yes, I-”

“And would you be content with simply waiting while they risked their lives in battle?”

His round eyes drooped just a little, but his shoulders remained firm.

“I would not,” his voice softened.

“So, you see my problem?”

“I do,” Kodjo sighed, “but we will not know anything until the drums sound again when the warriors return.”

Ramonda deflated from his sincerity and felt for the kimoyo beads on her wrist. They would be her lifeline.

“Very well then.”

Ramonda closed the door and shuffled back across the room, picking up the blankets she tripped over and plopping down in the center of the enormous bed. She crossed her legs and straightened her spine, rolling her shoulders back and centering herself before pressing her tracker bead. A holographic map of Wakanda filled the air in front of her, and she used her fingers to zoom in on Mt. Bashenga, where she could see T’Challa’s and Shuri’s lifelike miniature avatars splitting up to carry out their parts of the plan. Shuri was heading into her lab with Nakia and the colonizer to hijack the Royal Talon while T’Challa was going to confront Killmonger. 

Ramonda nestled into the covers and attempted to breathe her anxiety away with deep, cleansing inhales. She ended up getting too relaxed, and though she tried her hardest to keep her eyes open, the warmth of the furs lulled her to sleep. 

Falling.

Ramonda felt like she was falling, so she jerked her body awake and found her heart beating out of her chest. She searched the corners of her mind for a memory of her dream, but there was nothing to hold onto—just the feeling of freefalling.

Ramonda wiped the sleep from her eyes and rechecked her beads to see if T’Challa and Shuri were alright. They were both still at Mt. Bashenga, but-

“That cannot be right,” Ramonda squinted her eyes at T’Challa’s location and wondered why he was in the vibranium mine. Her questioning was cut short by a rumbling in her stomach that reminded her she hadn’t eaten since breakfast with M’Baku and Tayesha. 

Humming to herself to calm her anxiety, Ramonda crossed the room to the walk-in closet and quickly found a thick sweater made of the softest fibers she’d ever touched and slid it over her body along with a pair of tailored leather pants that were somehow just the right size and furry boots to keep her feet warm. 

Making a mental note to purchase some clothing from Jabariland in the future, Ramonda took one last look at her children’s locations on her kimoyo beads before reaching for the doorknob. Before her fingertips could graze the brass, she heard a melodic baritone on the other side of the door singing a song she’d never heard before. She stopped in her tracks and silenced her own serenade to listen to Kodjo effortlessly sing like his vocal chords couldn’t be bothered with anything less than perfection.

---------

Kodjo had just noticed the sun beginning to set when the door opened again. He had spent the last hour daydreaming about his next day off and humming to himself to pass the time, dreading the moment when he would have to face Ramonda again after angering her.

That moment came and went when she regarded him with softer eyes than he had anticipated. 

“You have a beautiful voice.”

He blinked the surprise from his face and shrugged off her compliment.

“Eh, it is alright.”

“It is more than alright. You sound like Mustafa Zaire.”

“Who?”

“He is a world-famous Wakandan vocalist,” Ramonda bragged.

“Never heard of him,” Kodjo shrugged again. “A favorite of yours?”

“In fact, he is.”

“Hhm.” Kodjo’s lips curled up in the smallest grin. “My apologies for singing so loudly, Queen Mother-

“Just ‘Ramonda’ will do, Kodjo.” 

“Very well, Ramonda.” 

Her name rolled effortlessly from his plush lips before wrapping around her like another thick Jabari fur, and she felt her skin warm up in ways she hadn’t felt since she met her departed husband.

“Did I bother you?”

“No. I took a short nap, and when I woke up, I realized it had been a while since my last meal.”

Kodjo’s own hunger was beginning to creep up on him, so he perked up at the mention of food.

“The chieftess takes her meals in her quarters with her children when the chief is away at war, so you will be dining alone tonight.”

Ramonda nodded.

“Come. I will escort you to the kitchen.”

“I remember the way.”

“Yes, but it is my job to keep you safe while you are in our care.”

“I am not some fragile old woman, Kodjo.”

“My apologies. I did not mean to imply-”

“That I cannot fend for myself.”

“Not at all. Only that if I were to leave my post, I would face the wrath of chieftess Tayesha.”

Ramonda cracked a sly smirk out of respect for Tayesha.

“She rules with an iron fist, that one?”

“Not as unforgiving as metal… more like Jabari wood.”

“Very well then. You may accompany me to the kitchen.”

Kodjo bowed his head with an accomplished smile plastered on his lips as Ramonda took off down the hallway toward the kitchen. He couldn’t help but notice how haughty her walk was when she wasn’t shivering beneath thin blankets. Her hips swished in the chocolate leather pants that she filled out more than he expected for a woman of her svelte frame, and she smelled of lilies. 

The palace felt eerily like a ghost town to Ramonda. The halls buzzing with life just hours earlier were silent, and not a soul was to be seen. 

“Did everyone go to war?”

“Most, yes. The rest are in their homes or temples praying to Hanuman for our warriors’ safe return.”

Ramonda nodded and wondered if Hanuman would hear her if she added her prayers into the mix. The more gods on their side, the better. 

“The Jabari are a spiritual people, then?”

“Very,” Kodjo responded proudly, his chest puffing out just a little as he spoke.

“It seems we have that in common.”

“Yes, you lowlanders have your panther god.”

Ramonda squinted at his choice of words but kept her protests to herself.

“We do,” she replied. “I am sure that despite our separation for many centuries, there are many more similarities between our people than we realize.”

“Perhaps.”

“We are all Wakandan, after all.”

“Hmph.”

Ramonda cut her eyes Kodjo’s way and took in his grimace.

“You disagree?”

He met her gaze hesitantly, and she could see the regret in his eyes for speaking out of turn.

“Speak freely, Kodjo.”

The guard cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

“It is not that I disagree, per se. I just think that you lowlanders-”

“You keep using that term.”

“It is not meant to be derogatory.”

“It feels as such.”

“I imagine you have much harsher terms for us Jabari.”

“You imagine incorrectly.”

Kodjo sucked his teeth.

“If you say so.”

Ramonda side-eyed him as they walked in step through the empty hallways. The smell of expertly-spiced food let Ramonda know they were closing in on their destination, and shortly after, they rounded a final corner and came face to face with the royal chef Sade in her element. She twirled around the large kitchen as if she were as light as a feather, and she moved with the ease of someone who had an intimate understanding of their environment.

“You have a guest,” Kodjo announced, and Sade turned around at the sound of his voice, beaming with an infectious joy that transferred to Ramonda almost immediately. 

“Queen Mother, a pleasure to have you again!” Sade sang as she placed her ladle down on the side of her stew pot and wiped her hands on her apron. “Come, sit. It is not as fancy as this morning’s breakfast, but I am sure my son explained to you-”

“Your son?”

Sade turned to Kodjo with a hand on her hip, and he shrugged innocently.

“It never came up,” he said, making Sade roll her eyes.

“Your personal bodyguard is my son, so if he is not doing a good job, let me know, and I will straighten him right out for you!” Sade said, pinching Kodjo’s muscular arm.

“Mama,” he groaned, and his discomfort made Ramonda chuckle.

“I will do just that, Sade.”

“Come, sit.” The chef ushered Ramonda to the empty table, where she couldn’t help but admire the craftsmanship of the wooden furniture. The table top was made from a huge tree that had been sliced so that all its beautiful rings were visible, and Ramonda ran her fingers over the rings closest to her as she sat down. “I imagine you must be starving.”

“I did not notice how much time had passed since my last meal,” Ramonda nodded.

“One bowl of my famous vegetable curry coming right up.”

Sade shuffled over to the stove and stirred the fragrant stew thickening in the pot. She then fluffed the rice before turning to Kodjo with an expectant smile on her face.

“How is my Tayo?”

Kodjo’s expression soon matched hers, and Ramonda felt her chest tighten as she watched his face light up.

“He caught his first fish the other day at school. It was so big he could hardly lift it from the water.”

“Why am I just now hearing of this? I would have cooked it up with some-”

“Mama, he threw it back.”

“Eh?” Sade’s head whipped in her son’s direction.

“Your grandson let the fish go!” Kodjo explained.

Ramonda smirked at his accusatory tone while Sade shook her head lovingly.

“That boy is so sweet. A true gift from Hanuman,” the chef mused while she ladled curry into a large wooden bowl.

“That he is,” Kodjo sighed with a smile.

“How old is your son?” Ramonda asked him as Sade set the bowl down in front of her. Her eyes left her bodyguard and fell to the reddish brown stew, the steam floating up and filling her nostrils with the most delicious-smelling concoction.

“He will turn six next week.”

Ramonda hummed in response as she blew on the hot stew to cool it down. As she did that, her mind wandered to her children again, and she automatically felt for the kimoyo beads on her wrist, activating her tracking bead. Her eyes were drawn like magnets to the two figures moving around the map.

At least they were moving.

“What is that?” Kodjo asked, breaking the silence, and Ramonda looked up for a moment to see both of them staring down at the hologram in awe.

“My children.”

She zoomed in on Mt. Bashenga and saw that while Shuri was still out on the field, T’Challa was on the elevator, moving from the bottom of the mines to the panther statue. Ramonda sent another silent prayer to Bast and the ancestors before shutting down the hologram and picking up her spoon to taste her dinner. The second it breached her lips, her worries took a backseat to her astonishment at the new flavors she was introduced to. 

“Sade, this is phenomenal.”

“Uh, t-thank you,” Sade stammered, still shocked by the technology she had just witnessed. When she looked at her son, she noticed his eyes were wide with wonder.

Minutes passed before anyone said anything. Ramonda ate in silence while Sade began cleaning the kitchen, but Kodjo was glued to the spot staring at the beads on Ramonda’s wrist. The technology intrigued him. He had never even conceived of such a thing before, and his entire worldview had begun to turn on its head with just one visit from the lowlanders.

That worldview expanded even more when, minutes later, one of the beads separated from the others and rolled down into Ramonda’s palm, the king’s figure appearing in her hand as if she had shrunk him down and carried him in her pocket.

“Mama, it is over,” he said. “You can come home.”

What happened next changed the trajectory of Kodjo’s life forever. Until that moment, he had no more than a minor infatuation with Ramonda, but as her lips peeled back in a wide smile that crinkled the corners of her eyes, he was overwhelmed by the intense need to make her smile like that every second he could.

Kodjo’s feelings caught him by surprise. So much so that he stayed silent while he escorted Ramonda back to her room to gather her things. Not a word was spoken between the two of them while they traveled to the front of the palace and stood in the snow while the Royal Talon descended from the sky. Tayesha stood next to Ramonda, gazing up excitedly at the ship while all six of her children watched with their mouths agape. 

The moment the Talon touched down and the ramp hit the snow, Ramonda took off running, meeting her children before their feet could even touch the ground. The three of them stayed in their embrace while M’Baku and his warriors departed the ship, the chief’s brood of offspring tackling him to the ground before he could plant a kiss on his wife’s lips.

Kodjo watched the joyous reunion with a hint of jealousy, longing to feel his son’s little arms wrapped around his torso.

“Kodjo.”

He snapped out of his daydream at the sound of his name and stood tall as M’Baku and Tayesha approached him.

“You have done well. Thank you for your service today,” Tayesha said, and he bowed deferentially to the two royals. “Go, rest. And give Tayo our love.”

Kodjo smiled at her kind words.

“Yes, chieftess. Thank you.”

He bowed once more to them both, but this time, when he stood up straight, he caught a glimpse of Ramonda over Tayesha’s shoulder. She was looking in his direction at that moment and nodded his way before turning and boarding the ship. That small gesture sent his heart soaring, and the goofy smile that appeared on his face tipped off the chief and chieftess to his feelings.

“You know, the king has invited me to sit on his council,” M’Baku commented with a raised eyebrow. “I would like you to accompany me on our diplomatic trips down to the valley.”

Kodjo tried and failed to hide his excitement, but M’Baku and Tayesha noticed the twinkle in his eye at the thought of seeing his favorite lowlander again. They sent each other knowing glances before herding their children indoors to prepare for bed.

Kodjo stood outside watching the Royal Talon take off and disappear into the clouds, already plotting how he could make Ramonda smile again the next time he saw her. Thankfully, it wouldn’t be long.

Taglist: @maddeningmayhem, @theblulife, @motheroffae, @love-mesome-me, @toni9, @brihann, @impremenior r, @nahimjustfeelingit-writes , @brattyfics , @cecereads209 , @afriendlyblackhottie , @queengodiva619 , @musicisme333 , @nahimjustfeelingit-writes, @uzumaki-rebellion , @tallulahchanel , @muse-of-mbaku , @we-outsiiiide, @she-is-my-unrequited-love34 , @hoeseokcangetit , @unfriendlyblkhotti3 , @bornamiracle , @saltiestblkgirlofall , @goddessofmischief0711, @dashhoney25, @griot-of-wakanda

[susanitaflowers]

So I rewatched the first black panther and I noticed something interesting

The previous royal family:

The older sibling ,King T’chaka, was married to Queen Romonda

The younger sibling ,Prince N’jobu, fell in love with a American woman(a foreigner)

The current royal family:

The older sibling, King T’Challa, married Nakia of the river tribe

The younger sibling, Princess Shuri, falls for a certain someone from Talokan ??? Would also be a foreigner

Mom I’m delusional

[wannagilok]

Talagang, “Wakanda Forever!”

Nagsisilbing saludo sa yumaong aktor ni T’Challa, si Chadwick Boseman, ang blog na ito. Wakanda Forever!

Kilala ang Marvel Studios bilang isang kompanya na gumagawa ng mga pelikula tungkol sa mga superheroes. Kathang-isip lamang ang karamihan sa mga pelikula na parte sa tinatawag na Marvel Cinematic Universe o MCU. Bukod sa nakakaaliw na fictional plot, nagbibigay ito ng mga kritisismo sa mga nararanasang isyung panlipunan sa totoong buhay. Nagsisilbi itong salamin sa mga problemang kinakaharap ng karamihan. Isa ito sa mga dahilan kung bakit tunay kong gusto ang mga pelikulang ipinapalabas ng Marvel Studios, at isa na rito ang Black Panther.

Pumapatungkol ang pelikula ng Black Panther sa kuwento ni T'Challa, ang anak ng dating T'Chaka, na nag-aangkin sa trono bilang Black Panther ng Wakanda, isang piksyonal na bansa sa Africa. Nanganganib ang kanyang trono dahil sa kanyang pinsan na si N'Jadaka o mas kilalang “Killmonger", na inaangkin ang kanyang karapatan sa trono bilang isang royal descendant ng noong Wakandan prince na si N’Jobu. Dahil dito, nagkaroon ng isang serye ng mga pangyayari hanggang nagkaroon sila ng isang matinding labanan para sa titulong Black Panther. Sa kabila ng nakakaaliw at intense na mga eksena, nabibigyang-diin rin ang mga laganap na isyung panlipunan ukol sa mga persons of color sa pamamagitan ng representasyon, paghamon sa stereotypes, at komento sa kasaysayan.

Isang mahalagang detalye ang representasyon ng persons of color sa Black Panther lalo na sa mga Africans at African-Americans. Kapansin-pansin rin ang African at African-American na cast at direktor ng pelikula. Bukod pa rito, tumutukoy din ang pelikula sa Black Lives Matter movement.

Makikita rin ang komento sa racism sa pamamagitan ng paghamon sa mga stereotypes gamit ang kanilang mga karakter kagaya ni Killmonger. Representasyon ang buhay ni Killmonger sa buhay ng mga African-Americans na nakatira sa Amerika. Kadalasang nakakaranas ng diskriminasyon ang mga African-Americans lalo na sa Amerika kung saan kadalasang hindi maganda ang pananaw ng mga tao sa kanila. Habang lumalaki si Killmonger sa Amerika, naging rason ang diskriminasyon bilang pampalakas sa kanyang motibo sa paghiganti sa mga dumukot sa kaniya na mga mananakop noong bata pa siya.

Nagbigay komento rin ang pelikulang ito ukol sa racial inequality, diskriminasyon, at pang-aabuso na nararanasan ng mga Africans sa kanilang kasaysayan. Halimbawa na rito ang pagtago ng Wakanda sa kanilang yaman, kagaya ng vibranium, mula sa ibang bahagi ng mundo upang umunlad bilang isang bansa nang walang panghihimasok ng mga mananakop. Nagsilbi rin itong komento sa kolonyalismo na naranasan ng maraming bansa sa Africa sa kanilang kasaysayan. Maraming bansa sa Africa ang pinagsamantalahan, inabuso, at inalipin habang kinukuha ng mga mananakop ang kanilang mga likas na yaman at kayamanan.

Isa ring halimbawa ang unang parte ng pelikula kung saan makikita si Nakia na mayroong undercover mission upang iligtas ang mga ikinulong na babae na inabuso, inalipin, at ginahasa. Isa rin ito sa mga isyung panlipunang laganap noon at sa kasalukuyan na gustong liwanagan ng pelikula lalo na sa kababaihan ng Africa na nakakaranas ng pang-aabuso mula sa mga mananakop.

Sa kasalukuyan, nananatili pa rin ang diskriminasyon at pang-aabuso sa mga persons of color bilang isa sa mga laganap na isyu sa ating lipunan. Bilang mga tao, i-tatak natin sa ating puso’t isip na kahit iba-iba tayo ng kulay, kasarian, o race, tao parin tayo lahat. Hindi rason ang anuman na ito upang mangdiskrimina ng ibang tao.

[astro-tag-9]

Marvel astrology part 8

The Ancient One- Virgo sun, Virgo moon

Odin- Leo sun, Scorpio moon

Classic Loki- Gemini sun, Gemini moon

Sandman/ Flint Marko- Cancer sun, Scorpio moon

Wong- Cancer sun, Aquarius moon

N’Jobu- Scorpio sun, Libra moon

Ben Parker (Peter 2)- Scorpio sun, Aquarius moon

Gwen Stacy (Peter 3)- Scorpio sun, Cancer moon

Gwen Stacy (Peter 2)- Virgo sun, Libra moon

Hela- Scorpio sun, Leo moon

[babatunjixoxo]

Works Masterpost

in order of creation

besides honor, a compromise Erik/T’Challa [non-con]

pendulum Erik/T’Challa/Nakia [ot3]

this one is happier Erik/T’Challa [one shots]

bloody waters  Erik/T’Challa [Canon Divergence long fic]

A Traditional Breeding  Erik/T’Challa [a/b/o]

Mating Run  Erik/T’Challa [a/b/o]

in reverse T’Chaka/N’Jobu [canon divergence]

we change shapes Erik/T’Challa [shapeshifting]

two old panthers, in love  T’Chaka/N’Jobu [canon divergence]

foreign  Erik/T’Challa

horns like a devil Erik & Loki [character study]

rules of kingship and other rites T’Challa/Group

all men must die Game of Thrones [Time Travel Fix-it]

a knight and his queen Cersei/Jaime [Canon Divergence]

guest of honor  Erik/T’Challa [AU]

blame it  Erik/T’Challa

familiar  Carol/Monica

nine times out of ten  Erik/T’Challa  [Alternate Universe, Wakandan Empire]

All Hail  Erik/T’Challa  [Canon Divergence]

double date  Erik/T’Challa | Tony/Rhodey    [Canon Divergence]

all for us  Erik/T’Challa  [Alternate Universe, Wakandan Empire]

chance meeting  Erik/T’Challa  [Alternate Universe, BDSM Universe]

take care  Erik/T’Challa  [Alternate Universe, BDSM Universe]

heartbeat | love lies  Erik/T’Challa  [Alternate Universe]

long distance  Erik/T’Challa  [Alternate Universe]

fallin' (ai, ai, ai)  Erik/T’Challa [Alternate Universe, University Setting]

wretches and kings  Erik/T’Challa

Black Panther Ships (attempt) Map 

do-re-mi  Erik/T’Challa  [Alternate Universe]

praise for the mother (the third) Erik & Ramonda [Alternate Universe]

Brevity in Death Erik & T’Challa  [Time Travel Fix-It]

a game for 3 Erik/T’Challa [bloody waters omake]

heavy duty Erik/T’Challa

tell me why you gotta look at me that way Erik/T’Challa  [Alternate Universe]

Head of House Erik/T’Challa [non-traditional a/b/o]

Elevate Tony/Rhodey [a/b/o]

if hover-boards were wishes...  Erik/T’Challa

so, my darling Female OC/Female OC

Gatekeeper (Sing To Me)  Erik/T’Challa [One Shots]

school these kids (they can't read)  Erik/T’Challa [kid-fic]

homebound Erik/T’Challa [Canon Divergence]

night and day. Brunnhilde | Valkryie/Hela

S.I.H  Erik/T’Challa

the only thing to fear is never being scared Nakia/Shuri

this jackal doesn't need to hide Erik & N’Jobu [Time Travel Fix-it]

adjustment period T’Chaka/N’Jobu [Canon Divergence]

call Erik/T’Challa [kid-fic]

shape of you Erik/T’Challa [age regression AU]

Do You Trust? Erik/W’Kabi

Sorry for Now Erik/T’Challa

Nice To Have M’Baku/T’Challa

something sweeter Erik/T’Challa

fallin (temptation) John Walker/Lemar Hoskins

puzzle of us  John Walker/Lemar Hoskins

lost it to trying  John Walker/Lemar Hoskins

four letter words  John Walker/Lemar Hoskins

kneeling on broken knees (what's up danger?)  Erik/T’Challa

Broken Mirrors T’Challa [What-If....?]

fault line N’Jobu & Erik

pyre Erik & Rhodey

Not Friends Tony/Rhodey

longing T’Chaka/N’Jobu

dreamgirl Ramonda/Erik

stopping point  John Walker/Lemar Hoskins

one more time (walls down)  Erik/T’Challa [Resurrection U]

catch up (dangerous) Eric Effiong/Adam Groff [Sex Education]

two souls Lord Voldemort/Harry Potter [Canon Divergence]

look at this heart, can you see the floor? Erik/T’Challa/Erik [Dimension Travel]

[patwrites]

Killmonger is one of the top 5 MCU villains, if not the best. Such a magnificently well-written character. Jordan gives, in my opinion, his best performance in Black Panther.

Dude cloaks his naked ambition and desire to watch the world destroy itself (starting with Wakanda) in Wakandan nationalism and black supremacist rhetoric. Ryan Coogler uses the character to highlight and critique so many disparate right-wing ideologies and it’s sad to see how many people don’t recognize that. He’s not some “cool revolutionary”. He’s a terrorist who only cares about slaking his own lust for vengeance. He’s a would-be demagogue.

N’Jobu’s treason came from a genuine desire to help the world. Erik just wanted to watch it burn.

He’s also one of the few Marvel villains who makes genuinely good points about things, in this case how Wakanda operated prior to T’Challa sharing vibranium with the world.

[panthershuri]

reminder that the mission n’jobu was killed while planning was breaking eriks mom out of prison

[jaguarhabit]

FROM A PASSAGE IN BP & PHILOSOPHY: In 2006, The Louvre Museum invited African American writer Toni Morrison (1931–2019) to curate an exhibit, which she chose to create around Théodore Géricault’s painting The Raft of the Medusa, which she sees as articulating unspoken realities of historic and contemporary imperial conditions. Morrison states:

When you look at it you see the raft has been cut away from the main ship and they are just left to survive or drown. And they were all lower class or enslaved people or laborers, and there’s this one figure at the top […] looks like a young black boy pointing, maybe he sees a rescue ship, maybe not, but that whole notion of misery and being cut off from the colonial ship struck me as symbolic of what the whole [exhibit] would be about.

While Morrison’s exhibit doesn’t directly relate to Black Panther her observations nevertheless highlight an interesting perspective, especially in relation to Killmonger, as his arrival in Wakanda mirrors the Géricault painting. Indeed, Killmonger is like the boy in the painting, a boy cut off from his home yet also searching for his home and trying to not just find it, but reclaim it, like Killmonger does with the mask and like he does when he fights T’Challa and becomes king. Similarly, Morrison’s thoughts on the exhibit enhance this perspective. As she states:

The history of slavery in America has been mangled, cleaned up, made sanitary and polished. For me, the act of re-imagining and imagining is a kind of saying goodbye, paying my respects, putting flesh on memory, putting flesh on anonymous people, keeping them intellectually and emotionally alive, it’s as though people looked away, so I thought it was time not to blink, to look at it the way it really was.

Morrison’s focus on migrants as a historic population – identity and migration as a condition inextricably bound to the wielding of power and bringing that discussion into the heart of “Western” material consciousness, as it were – is a form of truth-telling. By confronting the structures of Western identity (race, class, gender, sexuality) and by focusing on people marginal to those structures yet necessary to the binary nature of those artifices, it is a revelation of the hidden heart of the museum’s presentation, its way of existing. The figures in The Raft of the Medusa, women, the poor, lowborn, and enslaved, are outsiders, those whose labor and exploitation made the museum and the narrative of the museum possible and whose lives were rarely seen as worthy of the museum’s attentions.

Killmonger also engaged in truth-telling – at the museum, when he questioned the director about the history of the artifacts and how they were obtained, and in Wakanda, when he confronted the council and when he forced T’Challa to reckon with Wakanda’s past (not just T’Chaka killing N’Jobu, but also Wakanda’s history of isolation). In fact, T’Challa begins to question the past after he sees Killmonger wearing the mask and wearing N’Jobu’s ring, which causes Zuri to admit the truth of what T’Chaka did to N’Jobu and what T’Chaka and Zuri did to Killmonger as a boy. Killmonger’s mask is largely symbolic for Killmonger – as he says, he’s just “feeling it.”

[saltiestblkgirlofall]

(An assorted collection of random HCs about Erik and his mother in my extended fic verse, Cassandra, because I need to decompress from learning something new at work today.)

-Erik got a love of history from Cassandra, who had a doctorate in African American History.

-She also fueled his love of anime.

-N’Jobu used to call Erik his mother’s mouthpiece—Cassandra had a lisp and a slight stutter so she tended to listen more than she spoke. Erik however had no such filter and would pop off at the mouth. Although his mother chided him, she was quietly proud.

-She had a beautiful singing voice and sang in the choir of her uncle’s church before moving away from Louisiana for school.

-She swore with every other breath (Cass used the Sam L Jackson method to deal with her lisp.) but began to censor herself with her kids.

-She was ultimately—sadly framed for the crime which put her behind bars, and it will probably play a part in the way Spark’s sequel unfolds. She was a woman with many secrets.

[justwaytomuchfun]

Now exams are over and I was re-watching clone wars,rebels and some of the films and I actually re watched force awakens (I actually like it don’t Judge me) and I remembered the hype around rey’s parents before big daddy palps entered the scene and I actually thought of Something ‘the palpatine problem’ I mean the whole Rey is palps grand daughter thing so I took a step back to look at the trilogy and found something that could have saved the rise of skywalker and the problem that led it there,

The real problem is just the film or the entire trilogy wasn’t even planned to have palpatine , it was a last minute retcon because backlash from Snoke’s death ,if palps was truly dead but Rey was a palp clone it would’ve been fine-ish but honestly I prefer her being a nobody kinda similar to daddy kenobi and have kylo and her be a reflection of anakin and obi wan (the chosen saviour of a legend and the basically nobody tied to the saviour’s) and be a mirror by how unlike how obi wan unable to save anakin to Vader ,rey would be able to save Ben from kylo,

kylo could have kept his badass villain status for a movie instead of becoming big daddy palps errand boy and Rey could’ve brought him back to the light somehow (I don’t write scripts ) possibly because rey could empathise with Ben because she has no Jedi code to prevent that type of connection, unlike obi wan who embraced the Jedi code and while he did understand that it wasn’t always right (clone wars S7 )he still followed it as he tried to kill anakin on Mustafar believing he was never coming back not believing in his redemption (although after the youngling slaying I don’t really blame him to much)

similar to black panther and killmonger and their fathers while T’challahs father T’chaka murdered his brother N’jobu to keep the secret of wakanda T’challah tried to save kill monger after their fight despite all he had done (R.I.P Zuri) and while killmonger still let himself die the parallel still stands for what Rey and Ben could’ve been

also it would have been a great bit of connective tissue to the prequels to tie up the saga even their final duel could’ve mirrored the Phantom apprentice from clone wars (I know it came after but still) as a clash of ideals and sabers an incredibly ‘elegant duel from a more civilised age’ instead of hitting each other with glowing baseball bats because of ‘reasons’

That was a big ass tangent I’m sorry

[tjadakaa]

Literally never gonna shut up about how T’Chaka did NOT need to kill N’Jobu in Oakland that night. Also the POV we got was skewed towards T’Chaka and Zuri’s retelling so we’ll never even know what actually went down.

In the meantime I’ll just write non con content and bless the problematic fave who gave the ship to meeeee. Thanks Daan💜

[tchallasbabymama]

I got a real ass question, y’all…

Because I’m stumped…

Or maybe I’m just 🍃…

So, I’m writing (as usual), and got to a scene where T’Challa explains the whole Killmonger thing to my OC…

Simple, right?

Wrong!

I’m stuck because wtf did they think happened to N’Jobu? What did T’Chaka say? He couldn’t say he was dead because then he would’ve had to at least fake a proper burial…and he couldn’t say he just up and went missing because then it would look suspicious if he didn’t dedicate time and resources into “finding” him.

So what was the lie?!

Is it in a deleted scene or something? I haven’t seen those in a while 😅

[marvelvsmarvel]

MCU Cast Hateful Eight Type Screenplay Adaptation

Setting: Late 80s / Location: Madripoor

Rogues Gallery:

Clint Barton Jeremy Renner

Brock Rumlow Frank Grillo

Wade Wilson Ryan Reynolds

Prince N’Jobu Sterling K Brown

Natasha Romanoff Scarlett Johansson

Ulysses Klaue Andy Serkis

Akihiko Hiroyuki Sanada

&

Nick Fury Samuel L Jackson

Synopsis: A big foreign player (N’Jobu) is making waves in the West Coast underground scene with rumored potential of a government threatening revolution because of an unknown and highly advanced new substance (vibranium). Rarely stepping out of the shadows this Bay Area Kingpin is willing to conduct a demonstration in the infamous Madripoor for interested yet nefarious buyers. However, many find his sudden rise to power as a threat to all and have hired or assigned various skilled individuals to eliminate this growing threat.

Director: James Gunn / Rating: R

Intrigue: I love no holds barred every man for himself storylines but this specific story with this specific cast would be a lot of fun for a bajillion reasons. Crimelords are not without their posses like how N’Jobu has his loyal War Dogs (not Zuri), Klau and his mixtape crew, and Akihiko his Yakuza; mercenaries sometimes need a spotter like Clint and his brother Barney (post-circus) and Rumlow and Jack Rollins (pre-SHIELD). Speaking of SHIELD this would be a fun origin story on how such gifted people got on SHIELD’s recruiting radar or more specifically Nick Fury’s. I love the idea that Clint and Natasha met on a few dangerous occasions before SHIELD and errgh his marriage. It also gives a vendetta to Clint and Akihiko for his direct targeting of him in Endgame. Another opportunity is to round the story on how Klaue and N’Jobu met spurring the events of Black Panther. And of course Wade is there to get paid and there to get laid. Additional cast includes Ming Na Wen as SHIELD Agent Melinda May, Michael Jai White as Wakandan War Dog, Rain as Ninja Assassin, and Nathan Fillion as Barney Barton.

I am reminded that the MCU consists of many great actors and actresses on every level from the films to the tv shows to the streaming services in between. Some have only been brought in for a single film (Brown) while others have not been afforded the best writing (Renner). Either way a film like this is fun, action packed with a lot of blood and martial arts, and would be an absolute killer! Were it an actual film...