#Who better to critic it then the children created through the process?

[coochiequeens]

"Until recently, a meeting between them was unlikely. Their worlds are quite different: one is an outspoken atheist feminist from France, the other is a Reformed politician from the Netherlands." In other words it is possible for people who usually oppose each other on social issues to agree on something.

One an outspoken atheist feminist from France, the other a Reformed politician from the Netherlands. "We form an interesting but important coalition." Photo CNE.news

European Union

People hardly ask questions about surrogacy, notice the French activist Olivia Maurel and the Dutch Member of the European Parliament Bert-Jan Ruissen. "People have no idea what kind of market is behind this."

Until recently, a meeting between them was unlikely. Their worlds are quite different: one is an outspoken atheist feminist from France, the other is a Reformed politician from the Netherlands. Despite these differences, French activist Olivia Maurel and SGP MEP Bert-Jan Ruissen find common ground in their shared mission: a worldwide ban on surrogacy. "We form an interesting but important coalition", Ruissen says.

Maurel and Ruissen are examples of the flanks of this politically diverse coalition, which has grown significantly in recent years. In early April, they met at the Casablanca conference in Rome. There, politicians, legal experts, and medical professionals gathered to discuss a global ban on surrogacy.

During the conference, there was little opportunity for an in-depth conversation. At the request of the CNE.news, Maurel and Ruissen spoke again at the end of April via a video call about their objections to surrogacy. "We use a woman for her uterus and take a child away from the mother immediately after birth," says Maurel, who was born through surrogacy. "That's why Olivia's story is so important," Ruissen adds. "People need to know the consequences of this practice."

In surrogacy, a woman carries and gives birth to a child for another, whether or not for financial compensation. The commercial market for this is growing from 14 billion dollars in 2022 to an expected 129 billion dollars in 2032.

Personal

For Maurel, this debate is personal. She was born in 1991 to an American surrogate mother. The publication of her story on CNE.news in October last year brought her into contact with the organisation behind the Casablanca Declaration. With this Declaration, politicians, jurists and other experts call on countries to ban surrogacy within their territories.

Shortly after they connected, Maurel became the spokesperson for the Casablanca Declaration. She shared her life story in various parliaments and had a private audience with the Pope. "I told him I am an atheist but that we need to work together on this issue," says Maurel. "He is very kind; he understood me and was very open to my story."

Politicians she addressed also showed understanding, says Maurel. Yet, she also sees some naivety. "Not everyone realises how much this market has been commercialised. It sounds nice: a woman helping another couple fulfil their desire for children. But people have no idea what kind of world is behind this."

MEP Ruissen signed the Casablanca Declaration in April. He shares Maurel's observation. "With surrogacy, you cross an ethical border when you intentionally do not let a child grow up with its mother. In this debate, the desires of adults seem to be more important than the child's interests."

Maurel and Ruissen largely agree with each other's arguments despite their different backgrounds. Both focus on the child in their objections to surrogacy. "We must prioritise the child in this discussion," says Ruissen. "With surrogacy, we prioritise the child in a contract," adds Maurel. "We ignore children's rights for the desires of adults."

Momentum

In European politics, surrogacy is on the political agenda, Ruissen says. Last week, the European Parliament adopted a directive banning the exploitation of surrogate mothers. Maurel was present at the vote. “While this is not a condemnation of the practice as such, it is quite an achievement”, she says. “It is a step into the right direction, Ruissen adds. "We have momentum, and we must use it." A group of French parliamentarians did just that on Tuesday when they proposed enshrining the ban on surrogacy in the French constitution.

A politically diverse coalition around a particular issue is not new. In discussions about gender, feminists and conservatives also find common ground. But Ruissen and Maurel see around the topic of surrogacy not only shared ambition but also results. "In the European Parliament, you see people from the extreme left to the extreme right coming together on this issue," says Maurel. "That's why we also try to work with various parties outside our political bubble," Ruissen responds. "It is so important that we work together when it comes to human dignity." That is what it is all about, says Maurel. "It's about more than just surrogacy. Sometimes, we seem to forget, but human dignity is at stake."

Money

"If we as a society start buying and selling children, we are heading in the wrong direction," says Maurel. Photo CNE.news

Maurel knows the consequences of surrogacy like no other: she inherited her mental health issues from her surrogate mother, who is also her biological mother. Additionally, she struggled with the fact that her parents had paid for her; knowing this made talking about it difficult. "It felt like: Olivia, suppress your feelings; they may have spent more than $150,000 to get you," she said earlier to CNE.news.

Still, she stepped forward to share her story. "Our society is heading in the wrong direction and no longer protects the most vulnerable: women and children. I don't want my children to live in such a world," explains the mother of three. However, she pays a price for her openness: "My speech in the Czech Parliament ended the relationship between me and my parents."

Despite these struggles, Maurel has no negative feelings towards her parents. "They just used the means available to them without being aware of the consequences." Maurel also sees that her story does not apply to every child. "I am sure that there are also beautiful surrogacy stories. But such successes do not make the practice more ethical."

Since Maurel began seeking publicity with her story, she has come into contact with other children of surrogate mothers. They often dare not speak out, the activist observes. "Some are still dependent on their parents, and others do not want to be abandoned again. They struggle with a conflict of loyalty."

Contract

Both Maurel and Ruissen focus their arguments on commercial surrogacy. Altruistic surrogacy, in which women carry a child without any financial reward, accounts for a small percentage, about 2 per cent. However, both Maurel and Ruissen oppose this as well. "Even with altruistic surrogacy, you still need a contract," says Maurel. "And you still separate children from their mothers”, Ruissen adds. “That is an ethical boundary we should not cross."

For most people, surrogacy is a distant issue, Maurel acknowledges. However, she believes this does not diminish the importance of discussing it. "Not everyone struggles with reduced fertility or has the money to do this. But if we as a society start buying and selling children, we are heading in the wrong direction. That's why we need to have this debate."

[kaiannae]

It is time- (Or: It Has Begin XD)

Greetings, my dear readers, it has been quite some time. First and foremost I would like to assure you that yes, I'm alive, and no, I have not abandoned my writing. But, I HAVE been distracted by somehing in the last few months, and I think its time to reveal it. I made a game! And not just a game, a Shadowgast game. I would like to present to you:

Beacon Run.

Ko-Fi This game begun its existance as a homework project for a game dev course I took about a year ago. I was supposed to implement a simple chase and pickup game and I thought, "Why use some random sprites when all I can imagine is small chibi Caleb chasing small chibi Essek around while Essek is trying to nom beacons?"

This idea lit a fire in my brain, and I just had to implement it but I had a very short time for the assignment. Iended up implementing something very simple, but I just couldn't let it go afterwards and vowed I was going to finish that small game and get it out for the fandom to play.

It has since been rewriteen, refactored and recoded several times, until I had something workable to show others. This is the place to mention the major contribution the people fo AIFL had on this little game. As I was maing this game, I shared its early stages with the server, and people have been kind in thier enthusasm, gave me ideas and provided invaluable criticism and feedback. They kept me motivated and kept me going through the lows of frustration one gets when coding. I got @bumble-b-goode 's permission to use their designs for the Weezards and drew my own sprites using that as inspiration. I ended up creating most of the assets for this game. Drawing the art assets took quite some time and I've learned a lot in the process.

Beacon Run not big or complicated as a game. In essence, is a tribute and a love letter to the Critical Role community and the CR crew. To the people who brought to life the Mighty Nein and have shared, and continue to share their stories with us on a weekly basis throughout the years. For Liam and Matt, who have weaved the tale of two broken wizards mending each other into better people, and keep their children of ink and paper alive for us to enjoy. The game: You as a player, are randomly assigned a little wizard to play for each match, so you can play as Essek or Caleb. The board dimensions and obstacles and even the flooring art are randomized for each match so each match is different. Your goal: to collect as many Beacons as you can during the allotted time, and end up with more Beacons than your rival which is the other wizard played by the computer. You gain projectiles over time, which are fake Beacons you can throw at the other wizard. If hit, the rival wizard is stunned for a short time, and drops several of his picked up Beacons for you to gather. However, beware! The rival wizard can also shoot you and stun you for a short while, and make you drop beacons as well. (You might notice that Essek gets stunned by sour lemon Beacons, while Caleb gets stunned by hand-knitted wool Beacons XD) In addition, when the rival is hit, he may drop a Magic Abeyance Bead which contains a Chronurgy spell. if you pick it up, it will provide a short time bonus for the match. In short, the game is a small, cozy game, made out of love for the wizards and the fandom, and I hope you'll enjoy it! I it still in the late stages of testing and development, as the feedback players provide is invaluable and lets me find bugs, add ideas and content suggested and tweak the mechanics to make it more enjoyable. So I would very much appreciate feedback, suggestions, con-crit etc. I would be happy to head what you like about it, what you think needs tweaking, ideas of content to add.... you name it! (Note that currently, the game does not work on mobile. I am planing to revamp the input system and add touch suport for mobile in the near future) Also it is worth mentioning that as I fix bugs, add content and tweak things, I upload new versions of the game so its worth following the Devlog and updates. The game is avaliable for play in the embedded player on the page, and also available for download to play offline (Though you might need to redownload it with every new version as I don't have an auto updater for it.)

In addition, if you like my work, feel like enabling me to make more of these or just want to buy me a coffee, It is always very much appreciated as it sure helps me stay afloat! Tip Jar

So, I hope you forgive me for my lack of writing for the last few months. I really wanted to get this out. I am trying to keep writing in my spare time, but the muses haven't been with me lately. I hope that now that this is out I can finally get my mind off it XD Stay tuned!

[zoot-marimba]

I want to take the time to remember the late Isaac Hayes, soul music singer, songwriter, musician, arranger, score composer, actor, and of course the voice of Chef, who would have turned 82 yesterday.

Where do I even begin with this man? One of the principal songwriters, musicians, and producers for so much of Stax Records' heyday, co-writing several hits for the likes of Sam & Dave with Dave Porter as well as contributing organ, piano, saxophone, and horn arrangements to several records and becoming a critical figure in Southern soul in the process.

He would then went on to cut solo records of his own like Hot Buttered Soul, Black Moses, and the soundtracks for films like Shaft and Tough Guys, on top of headlining the iconic Wattstax Festival. In a time when soul music was largely driven by the three to four minute singles to crossover to the pop charts, Isaac crafted soul epics that demanded the listener's attention. Rather it be through originals or reinterpretations of others' songs, any song Isaac sang was instantly his. Besides pioneering progressive soul, Isaac would also foreshadow the rise of hip hop with his series of monologues known as "Ike's Rap".

Having grown up in poverty and having been friends with people such as Dr. King, Isaac always sought to not only deliver words of empowerment for black people but also make the world a better place. As the co-founder of the Black Knights, Isaac helped fight police brutality and discrimination, and would also establish food banks within Memphis and help black voters get registered. He would also establish the Isaac Hayes Foundation in 1999 to assist vulnerable populations in realizing their fullest potential in areas such as health care, economics, and environmental and human development. As an Ambassador for the World Literacy Crusade, Isaac would be crowned an honorary king of Ghana's Ada district for his work in supporting literacy. It was also in Ghana that Isaac opened a school designed to link African children with those in American inner cities through the internet.

So when two guys in Colorado were creating a show and came up with the idea of a soul singing school cafeteria chef, Isaac ended up being just what the doctor ordered. Beyond the credibility of having an actual soul singer voice the character, Isaac gave Chef so much more beyond that. Rather it be the wacky, surreal Kid's-Show-Gone-Amok or the greater emphasis on social commentary, Chef provided a strong anchor to the madness that surrounded him. He was the rock that the boys could always fall back on, the confidant when things go awry. Through Isaac, Chef had humor, joy, warmth, conviction, and ultimately, love. And that is both of their greatest legacies above all else.

[sarahjtv]

So, My Hero Academia Chapter 387 (MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD)...

That was a really, really good chapter, but hoo boy that fucked me up real bad and I need to get some thoughts off my chest before I go to sleep.  Tumblr is the best place to post this; I’m not spending $8 on Twitter Blue to type this out.

First off, more eugenic stuff yay...  This time with Rei’s family, the Himuras.  So, turns out that Geten (the ice villain following Re-Destro) is a part of that family which means that he’s the Todoroki’s cousin at best.  I think Rei would’ve said something if he was her brother. 

And that the Himura’s have been inbreeding to keep their bloodline “pure” and their ice Quirk in tact...  And forced marriages were also desperate attempts to keep this in check.  UM WHAT THE FUCK, HORIKOSHI???  I’m not saying this is a bad thing story-wise, but it makes the Todoroki Family situation so, so much worse if that was even possible.  And sadly they’re not the only family to do this... 

So, if Rei was a product of inbreeding, then (and correct me if I’m wrong) the Todoroki children are technically inbred too on top of being born out of a quirk marriage to begin with INCLUDING SHOUTO WHO’S BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH (I need to clarify that I’m not criticizing Rei or her kids, it’s not their faults. I’m criticizing the practice of inbreeding itself).  I feel ill just thinking about that.  This is some royal family shit that should never be a thing to begin with.  I don’t care if marrying your 2nd cousin shouldn’t fuck up the kids too badly, it’s still extremely fucked up period!  This is honestly worse than the quirk marriage imo and that was bad enough as it was.  I kind of wish Horikoshi didn’t include this because it’s sadly kind of warpping my perception of them, but I’m not going to fly over to Japan and throw hands with him over it.

And this puts more context into why Rei chose to marry Enji because agreeing to be bought into a marriage with Endeavor to create the perfect offspring with Fire and Ice is somehow better than MARRYING YOUR FUCKING COUSIN AND HAVING A CHILD WITH THEM!  She never had a good choice to begin with; she just chose the best one that was given to her.  God, I feel bad for this woman.

I honestly need a few days to process this because it was dropped so casually and now I need to sit down and think of the implications of it while working on my finals 🥲

Onto Dabi who is fighting his dad with like half of his body remaining.  How the hell this man is alive is a goddamn mystery because he looks like a burning skeleton.  And this whole thing has caused his Quirk to evolve to the point where he’s now producing ICE ❄️!  HE HAS AN ICE QUIRK NOW TOO!  IT’S EXACTLY THE THING ENDEAVOR WANTED THIS WHOLE TIME AND NOW HE HAS IT IN THE WORST WAY POSSIBLE!  I WANT TO SCREAM!  SHOUTO AND DABI ARE REALLY 2 SIDES OF THE SAME COIN! 

There really is no way of knowing if Touya would’ve unlocked this part of his Quirk if he trained more with Endeavor, but the fact that he actually had the potential to become exactly what he was born for is devastating.  He could’ve been what his father wanted him to become, but his Quirk was too dangerous to himself to try.  If this happened, Natsuo and Shouto might not have been born (I’m glad they were born tbh), but at least the family would’ve been spared a shit ton of trauma.

Oh, and it looks like that massive fire punch he threw at Endeavor completely burned off his right arm and now he’s right armless like Endeavor.  That one panel of them “dancing” with right fire arms is haunting.  You could write a whole short essay on that panel.  Horikoshi loves parallels and I do too.

Honestly, I really expected Horikoshi to just kill off Endeavor and Dabi at the same time this chapter.  It looked like that’s where it was going.  There are a lot of ways their fates could be going and I can see it happening all those ways.  Personally, I want them to live at least until Shouto finally gets there.  I think Horikoshi is setting up that “Todoroki Family Reunion” he’s been planning since Chapter 300 or something especially with Rei entering the battle field.  What happens next is something we’ll have to wait for.  I want Endeavor to live honestly.  But, I can definitely see Dabi dying at the end because I really don’t think he’s going to survive at this rate.  Horikoshi cooked him too well 😂😭.

And finally REI TODOROKI!!!  The block or whatever her and her family were being transported in was stopped right below Gunga Mountain last chapter and they were forced to go up to the surface to make sure they avoid Dabi’s fiery explosion.  That’s why she’s up on the surface to begin with.  I do want to know how the hell she got to the battlefield so quickly though.  I don’t see her as a fighter, but maybe she trained her Ice Quirk to glide on it like Shouto does.  I’m really curious to see what she does because she does hold some responsibility for how Dabi turned out and I think she’s trying to atone in a way too.  This better not mean she’s dying though.  I don’t need the Todorokis to deal with more trauma, especially Shouto.

Anyways, there’s a lot to unpack in this chapter and there’s probably more to dive into.  Um, I’m glad to see Mr. Compress again like Horikoshi promised.  He’s probably still assless though.  Where are the 2nd year UA students you promised, sir???  But, yeah, the Todoroki drama continues to be more and more fucked up by the weeks.  Please let this family have peace one day I’m begging  🙏.

[madamlaydebug]

Gender Confusion directed to Children

Currently, the agenda to produce as much gender confusion as possible is being directed to children, as issues around transgender and sexual orientation are becoming integrated into the educational curriculum, some at the state level. In many cases, this is presented extremely early on to very young children who are not equipped with critical thinking skills, emotional regulation or parents that are readily informed and prepared to help support their child through the process of discussing sexuality. Again, to the NAA, the earlier they can confuse gender or sexually traumatize a child, the better it is for generating mind control slaves that enforce their anti-life programming throughout the culture.

The design of human sexuality is binary, as the human body is genetically designed to engage in male and female sexual reproduction based upon the natural Universal Laws of Gender Principle and the Law of Polarity that is evident throughout creation. The first directive of sexual intercourse is reproduction. However, gender identity as well as any other identity we want to be, is created from our thoughts, beliefs and the way we think in relationship to the values placed on the male or female physical body that we are inhabiting. Yet, whether we are incarnated in a male or female biology, which holds specific genetic markers for defining a male or female biology, we have both principles operating at some energetic level simultaneously, based upon the Laws of Gender that are integral to our human blueprint. Our inherent design to expand consciousness within is to bring energetic balance and healing to both the male and female aspects of our gender principle that exists inside of us.

When people confuse transgender identity with being in a body that they believe is the wrong gender, they are confusing their feelings about identity, by not recognizing that they are simultaneously masculine and feminine while they inhabit a body with a genetic marker of being a biological female or biological male. Gender roles and gender identity actually are thought forms and belief systems that are not connected into the genetic marker of our biology, they are mainly what society has conditioned as gender roles which in many ways are designed to confuse or enslave us. There are many reasons for gender reversal sensations happening inside the human body, many of which are based in trauma-based mind control, abuse and the lack of knowledge about how the lightbody and physical body are interconnected and function together.

Hence the danger of consciousness traps generated by gender reversal in the aggressive agenda to politicize the transgender movement, because when we reject or repel our natural state of biology or skew our perceptions of male or female gender, we reject the core spiritual essence of ourselves. When we live outside of the natural laws, we suffer greatly.

Many children and adults that have mental fragmentation and painful sexual trauma around gender confusion, are not recognized by others around them as in dire need of compassionate spiritual support, emotional healing and recontextualization around gender roles. Trauma sets up patterns in the brain and nervous system which skew coherent and clear perception, as well as shut down the heart from receiving unconditionally loving frequencies. Thus, many traumatized people that are run on self-delusions are used by the Controllers to promote this same sexual confusion through transgender ideologies. The traumatized are vulnerable to become pawns in further spreading sexual misery programing, especially into the younger generation. Transgender ideology is a specific psychological warfare tactic being run by the Controllers, in tandem with Transhumanism, to counter and prevent spiritual ascension. These satanic agendas are designed to condition people to reject their own bodies, and to generate delusions that can have them mentally identify with anything else but actually being a human and unconditionally loving toward their own body. In promoting the removal of body parts humans can disfigure their physical body in ways that destroys the energetic integrity for embodying the soul, monad and avatar body, which is just what the negative aliens desire. It is designed to be a rejection of the spiritual self, and a rejection of the natural laws that are inherent in the blueprint of a human being, which if aligned properly would naturally awaken the consciousness in that individual.

Obviously, the agenda to use the Transgender issue to bolster political agendas with gaslighting in order to confuse and manipulate the public, does not underestimate the incredible pain, confusion and frustration that many transgender advocates are experiencing. All people deserve compassionate communication, caring and understanding for the difficult plight of their personal suffering. However, we must be aware that there is a global agenda to normalize mental, emotional and spiritual disease, as a way of life. To claim civil rights for those people that are mired in traumatic based delusions and a history of self-destructive abuses, fits right into the Controller master-slave narrative for promoting human enslavement. Observing the staggering statistics of suicide in transgender people, including after reassignment surgery, we can recognize that changing sex organs through operations and cutting off body parts, does not solve the anguish of extreme mental, emotional and spiritual crisis.

[arthoure]

Pokemon Violet and Open-World Design Hell

I’ve got Quibbles with Scarlet/Violet -- the performance, the clunky intro that takes a thousand years and would be tedious even for the 8-year-olds it’s aimed for, the lack of scaling at gyms (which is something even I know how to code, unless you’re building on top of some kind of spaghetti code monster with all sorts of hidden variables and restrictions, which is actually more than likely) -- but I’m not going to voice anything in depth, because there’s only one thing I want to say about those games.

So far they’re fun, and that is a miracle, and the developers who worked on it should probably be praised for what they were able to accomplish, because a three-year dev cycle is not enough time to put together an open-world RPG for a global audience.

There are a million things about this process for an IP like Pokemon that take up extra time in that very small dev window, too. The localization. The rigorous art and design iterations that have to go all the way up high ladders to get approved because so much money is tied up in this franchise, and because the merchandising is so tied to it. The testing and iterations for any new mechanics that the players will expect from a new installment, and the balancing of previous mechanics within the new system. The QA!!! OH GOD THE QA!!!!!!!!

Now add the challenges of open-world design to that. Non-linear plotting. Balancing freedom of motion with a sense of direction and purpose for the player so they don’t feel lost. Balancing levels and pokemon types in a game where your level is always changing, which is now impacted by where you go and what you do and whether you stop to catch everything or plow through to gyms or fight every wild pokemon you come across or run away (ETCETERA! ETCETERA! ETCETERA!), in a way that’s fun for adult players but not challenging for small children. Placing new sights, activities, and rewards in ways that encourage exploration while having to avoid the repetition of these placements so players don’t get bored or predict what’s next--unless you’d like them to predict what’s next, to build a sense of anticipation! Open-world design is fun as hell to tinker in; it’s also an absolute monster.

I’m not aware of the conditions at Game Freak, but I’m having a hard time imagining any of this was accomplished without a significant amount of overtime and stress. There are no lazy developers. Every single person working on a Pokemon game right now--I mean the ones on the floor, the artists and coders and designers and QA and all the rest--they’re there because they fucking love video games, they fucking love Pokemon, and they beat out hundreds if not thousands of other qualified applicants for their personal position. When you see a game that arrives as some kind of disaster, it’s because some kind of disaster was happening behind the scenes. 

It’s OK to criticize the Pokemon games. They’re not nearly as polished as their price point warrants, which is frankly insulting to players from a company that regularly makes record-breaking amounts of money on its IP. The bugs have created frustrating jams for people, even forcing unsaved restarts (though the game does autosave a lot, thankfully). It could be a lot better, and it’s easy to see exactly how, and that’s very frustrating. But the game is still fun, and it’s trying a new format in a way that I believe is ultimately a success, and considering the restrictions imposed upon the devs, I personally think that was an impressive feat. I’ll be continuing to play during my next little snatch of free time.

[marshmallowprotection]

I feel like V deserves way more love and Saeran’s AE did him so dirty. But my blue bby will always be my fave 💙

I’m so happy that I’ve found someone who’s still doing MM headcanons and asks after so long 💗

But headcanon/thoughts on V’s reaction that MC is pregnant and they’re gonna have kids. And him holding his firstborn for the first time. My heart is just melting thinking about it 🥺💗

V is determined to be a good father. When you first adopted Lucy, he knew that he was going to make things right this time. It was a choice made with a lot of respect to his family goals. Your family goals. The ones you've created together. It wasn't made lightly. This choice was made after he spent hours thinking about what it would be like to be a father. If he could be a father at all.

These thoughts aren't easy for him. They plague him like no tomorrow on the worst nights. He knows that if he chose to be a parent, it would be a choice made with a world that could be prepared for anything.

If he chose to avoid parenthood, it would be a choice made knowingly in respect to what his priorities and feelings are.

He knows his mistakes from trying to take care of the twins but he’s learned through fire that he will have to accept hiccups and be willing to confront them instead of shying away. To be a good father means to be someone who is willing to admit when something isn’t right and to work harder on being willing to accept criticism and learn from it. 

That's a hallmark his father will never be able to achieve as he won't own up to his mistakes.

It’s not easy, and it’s something he works on every day since there’s no way to be perfect. He can only strive to be better than the day before. He does feel much more confident in the parenting situation these days. He wants to do better and he spends a lot of time communicating with other people and reading everything he can get his hands on. If he can learn something, he wants to be able to get into it and divulge the answers from top to bottom.

It's not simple, but it's important to him to not make a mistake. He can't imagine screwing up the same way he did as a child. He doesn't want a child to be haunted like he was.

He knows that's nothing compared to getting your hands super messy and putting yourself into that situation; but, it's important for him to feel like he is making progress and seeing that there are lessons that he didn't even think about. It's a process. He needs time and space to figure out where he went wrong and how to correct himself.

There are things he didn't unpack from his own childhood that he's trying to work on. It affects his parenting process. a part of his becoming a parent will come from the healing process. He can't feel like a father until he has done more work to recoup from his feelings of neglect, abandonment, or shame.

The regrets that he has from his relationship with his mother aren’t something that he wants to relive. He learned a lesson in a very hard way and he wants to make sure that his children never have to do that. He wants to make sure that they always understand that he will be there for them. He won't leave them and he won't run away.

Even if times get hard and he makes mistakes, V wants to do things the right way. He may not be a perfect person and he will be honest about that. But he will say that he is trying his best and that he wants to understand how to be better. Just be warned that his shame over what he did as a teenager hangs over him like a rain cloud.

As far as pregnancy goes, the only thing you have to worry about is him being a little bit too attentive. It may sound silly but it's not. He won't go anywhere you don't want to go. He wants to make sure that you have everything that you need and sometimes that means that he goes over the top. It's not a bad thing, it puts him in a place where he makes sure that you have anything that you could ever need at your beckon call instantaneously even if you didn't ask for it. Call him out if you see him neglecting any of his needs, though.

Old habits did hard, after all.

It's all okay when he holds his child, though. He smiles. He cries. He knows that he will do anything for this child. He won’t stop if his child needs something to be happy. Name it, and he’s on it. It’s the same way he cried when he held Lucy for the first time... the same way he felt when he wanted to protect the twins. He is determined to do things right and be the best father he can be. Even if he might make mistakes, he knows his love for his child will always outweigh everything else in his life.

If there's nothing else he knows, he knows that. No matter what comes next in life, he knows what he'll be looking out for. He'll be looking out for his partner and their kids. He's only going to be able to hold himself together for so long until he sees you, and then he just weeps. Which, will probably warm your heart in the process because he often doesn't let himself show what he's feeling, and this is a sign that he's still getting better all these years, and this is a sign that he's still getting better all these years later.

[uzumaki-rebellion]

“Black Boys Bloom Thorns First: Volume 4, Chapter 57″

Need to catch up? Masterlist HERE.

"Listen as your day unfolds Challenge what the future holds Try and keep your head up to the sky Lovers, they may cause you tears Go ahead, release your fears Stand up and be counted Don't be ashamed to cry

You gotta be You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold, you gotta be wiser You gotta be hard, you gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm, you gotta stay together All I know, all I know, love will save the day"

Des'ree – "Ya Gotta Be"

"Damn him!"

Disa tossed her comm tab stylus pen across her office and it struck the Phase Two model she built for the new man-made island she was to design. Her building team meeting had been going well until Adebiyi of the Jabari mountains criticized her roofing drafts. She had gone out of her way to request a skilled builder from the estranged tribe as a sign of goodwill to stave off criticism from other Wakandan design firms who lost the bidding war to create the new expansion of Wakanda onto the sea.

For hundreds of years, the Wakandans had protected their oceanfront by keeping it well-guarded and staying away from constant usage to keep other bordering nations from seeing what they had. Wakandan fishermen from the Border Tribe played their role as humble citizens, eking out a living on small boats. Luckily, the geography of their mountain range and their camouflage technology made the land on the beach untouchable for outsiders. Disa thought for months upon her arrival in the country that Wakanda was landlocked and was surprised to see the ocean for the first time with Yani and the children to honor Erik's birthday before they knew he was alive. They had a little birthday party for Sydette and she glimpsed the first man-made island territory when they did a flyover so the children could see what belonged to their new home and where Erik and N'Jobu's staunch supporters inhabited. There was also a quick trip to see the work ships on standby where the second island expansion would be built under her guidance. How the Wakandans lived cloaked in plain sight was astounding.

Five other design firms competed to build the new expansion, already miffed that they gave her the international embassy contract. Disa one-upped them all by asking for a Jabari team member to offset claims of her not understanding traditional structures. Who better to know Wakandan tradition than the Jabari people who left the nation because the others refused to hold on to it?

Adebiyi was sent to her, and at first, he was a quiet observer who listened to her ideas and inspected her early sketch designs. Then he began showing his ass, complaining about the materials she wanted to use and putting down her desire to have Wakandans involved with the design process. He was an artisan, and she fell in love with the work he had done in the Jabari lands. His middle-aged crotchety attitude polluted her office, and she regretted choosing him for her team. He was xenophobic, smug, and disparaging of her foreign ways. She kept her professional cool and refused to let him get under her skin where he could see how much he irked her. Disa was grateful when Yani showed up, freeing her for a few minutes from the Jabari tyrant. He was going to be a thorn in her side until Phase Two was completed. Kembintu, Atta, and T'Mbeze, her three other team members, rolled their eyes and gave subtle sighs whenever their gatherings turned into shouting matches. Disa made a note to ask T'Challa to come check the man and put the others on notice at the next family meal.

She whisked herself into the front office, and Yani looked frightened. Her normally warm brown skin looked unhealthy, and Disa immediately wanted to comfort her. With all the things they had been through, she still looked at Yani as a younger sibling. The fact that the woman came to her before anyone else with her fears showed Disa that she was trusted and her opinions on things still mattered to Yani.

After they spoke, Disa returned to her office and found it difficult to concentrate on her work. Even Adebiyi's spiel on some unimportant matter failed to get a rise in her. The man grumbled about her under his breath and the other team members ignored him while they planned a field trip out on the sea to supervise the installation of the island foundation. She pulled it together to finish a long day and practically ran to her suite to gulp down a glass of plum liquor.

A long bubble bath brought her back to life. She dressed in a lovely pink dinner dress and pinned her hair up for a sophisticated look. Disa enjoyed dinners with the entire family. It had become a rare event after the mourning period and she looked forward to seeing everyone, especially Riki and Sydette. Strolling through the palace on her way to the dining room, she met up with Umama and Baba Z. They were dressed in matching saffron robes, a sign that they would travel back to the Jabari mountains to wait for Erik's return. Umama rubbed Disa's arm with affection as Dante arrived with Joba carrying flowers from her fairy garden. Her daughter presented the bouquet to her great-grandparents and received kisses and a big hug from both Umama and Baba Z.

Attendants opened the dining room doors, and Yani arrived with Riki and Sydette. Joba squealed and ran to her brother first before Sydette picked her up and swung her around once. More hugs and kisses were given. Disa studied Yani's face. It still looked distraught.

Taking their places around the table, T'Challa, Shuri, and Ramonda soon joined them. The evening meal was filled with lots of vegetarian dishes, a hearty potato soup, and chickpea samosas. Yani glanced at Disa, cleared her throat, and brought everyone's attention to her when it was time for dessert.

"Will Erik have to fight again when he takes the throne?" Yani asked.

T'Challa didn't break eye contact with her, but Shuri glanced over at Ramonda and her grandparents. The silence around the table answered the question in the affirmative.

"He will face other tribes who have the right to challenge him," T'Challa said.

"You would have him risk his life again after all he's been through?" Disa asked.

"It is a tradition. We cannot take power until we give others a fair opportunity to rule," Baba Z said.

"Sydette… Riki… Joba… take your dessert out onto the patio with Hlano," Ramonda said.

The dining room attendant ushered the children with their small bowls of coconut and sweet potato pudding.

"What if he's killed? What will happen?" Yani said.

"He will not die," T'Challa said.

"But what if he does?" Disa asked, hating the sound of the words on her tongue.

T'Challa wiped his lips with a linen napkin and sighed.

"Riki or Joba would be chosen as his successor and I would become a regent until they came of age to take over ruling," T'Challa said.

"No one has ever beaten an Udaku… except for another Udaku," Baba Z said.

"When Killmonger beat T'Challa," Yani said.

"There have been other Udakus who have challenged family members before, centuries ago. N'Jadaka was not the first," Baba Z said.

"Can he refuse?" Disa asked.

"No," T'Challa said.

"This is acceptable to you? Him possibly dying again?" Yani said.

"My grandson will not die," Umama said.

The older woman cradled her chin with her hands.

"When he comes down from the mountain, no one will defeat him. Not here in Wakanda, or out there in the world," Umama said.

Baba Z put a hand on T'Challa's shoulder.

"With T'Challa by his side, we will enter a new age. I never thought I would see something like this, and I ruled this country for a long time. The Black Panther and the Golden Jaguar, together… it has never been done before," Baba Z said with pride.

Their confidence bolstered Yani's faith, and she sat up in her seat, relaxing her shoulders. Disa put her trust in the lineage. Erik wasn't facing another Udaku again.

"Set aside your fears, Yani. Bast would never allow N'Jadaka to be taken from us again," Umama said.

Disa reached for Yani's hand and squeezed it.

Dinner ended on a positive note and Disa mentioned her work issues to T'Challa. She tried not to sound like a bitter snitch, but her reputation was on the line, and having Adebiyi question her skills on every little step was beyond disrespectful. She wanted to use a diplomatic way to bitch slap the Jabari artisan without upsetting M'Baku.

"I will look into this for you," T'Challa said.

Disa sighed with relief. An inquiry from the king helped a lot, especially since he supported her all the way. A little chin check didn't hurt anyone out of pocket. T'Challa tapped his kimoyo beads as their dessert plates were cleared away.

"M'Baku, may I request a favor? Can you bring Adebiyi to the East tea room?"

Disa's eyebrows shot up on her forehead.

"Now?" she whispered to T'Challa.

He held up a hand to pause her. M'Baku's half-form floated in front of T'Challa.

"I can," M'Baku said.

"Let us meet in ten minutes," T'Challa said.

He tapped his bead and glanced over at Disa.

"M'Baku is staying in the palace this week overseeing some official business. We can go talk now."

Disa tilted her head with surprise.

"Better to handle it tonight before you face off again tomorrow," T'Challa said.

Disa glanced at Yani.

"I can take the children to your place with Dante," Yani said.

Dante was already up and ushering his great-grandchildren back from the patio/terrace. Umama and Baba Z joined him by the dining room door.

"Thanks," Disa said.

She followed T'Challa and his Doras to the elegant tea room. Moments later, M'Baku appeared with a gallant stride, followed by Adebiyi.

"Lady Abdullah," M'Baku said, giving her a warm gap-toothed smile.

"Hello, M'Baku," Disa said.

Adebiyi already had down-turned lips, but she noticed how different he looked with regular clothing on. He and M'Baku both wore casual robes much different from the official look of the Jabari people when they interacted with the Wakandans. Her nemesis rolled his eyes at first, and then he took in her dressed-up appearance with a trace of surprise. She looked away quickly to let T'Challa speak.

"M'Baku, Lady Abdullah has some differences to work out with Adebiyi that have come to my attention," T'Challa said.

The king's serious eyes darted over to Disa, and she cleared her throat and held her head high.

"The man doesn't respect my expertise or the way I handle the Phase Two project. I can't continue working with someone who fights against my vision. I have great respect for Adebiyi's artistry, but we cannot work together in the future if he continues to second-guess me," she said.

Adebiyi stared at her as if she had thrown grits on him and puffed up his chest. M'Baku held a hand up to him and stared at Disa.

"Adebiyi is the best in our land. Trained by an elder artisan from a long line extending seven hundred years. You will find no one better. I do not say this because he is my wife's brother, but because he is the greatest builder we have."

Disa blinked several times and took a deep inhale.

"He is your brother-in-law?" she squeaked out.

M'Baku nodded.

"With all due respect, Lady Abdullah, I do not feel that I have disrespected you. Challenged you, yes. Brought issues to your attention that I think you overlook, yes. I am a blunt man and perhaps that is something you are unaccustomed to," Adebiyi said.

His lips grew tight, and he crossed his bulky arms, looking smug and justified in his behavior.

"Cultural differences can create friction when two people from unique places come together," T'Challa said, trying to smooth over the tension.

"I've traveled the world," Disa said, "he has not. I'm accustomed to working with all kinds of people, but Adebiyi treats me like I'm beneath him. I am Lady Abdullah from the House of Udaku. The mother of a royal. I demand civility at all times and this is something he has a problem with because he sees me as an inferior—"

"Have I ever called you inferior, Lady Abdullah?" Adebiyi asked.

He stepped toward her and M'Baku lowered his eyes as if he expected his extended family member to act a fool.

"You treat me as such. No words need to be spoken if it is understood by body language, tone, and sucking of teeth—"

Adebiyi sucked his teeth.

"See? Shit like that!" Disa shouted.

Her loud voice startled Adebiyi, and he quickly stepped back in the king's presence. Disa took advantage of the royal support and sauntered over to the arrogant man.

"I have won awards all over the world. I chose you to work with me because I respect your craft, your experience, and your knowledge of Wakandan history. I'm exceptional at what I do. Work with me, not against me. If my ideas and plans are not up to snuff, come at me as a colleague and your superior with respect. I'm a big girl and can handle critiques and concerns. I will not, however, tolerate the way you act in front of other people. Bringing this matter to the king was the last thing I wanted to do, but since you act so ridiculous… here we are," she said.

"Kumkani, I am not a man who would treat a member of your family with disrespect," Adebiyi said.

"Tuh," Disa said, folding her own arms.

"Untighten your tongue and speak to her," T'Challa said, placing his arms behind his back and stepping next to M'Baku. The Jabari leader touched the back of his neck and pursed his lips with discomfort at the situation. He eyed Adebiyi with quiet contemplation.

Adebiyi looked at Disa with humiliation in his eyes. Being chastised in front of the king and his brother-in-law had to have knocked him down a peg or two.

"May we speak together in privacy, Adebiyi and I?" Disa said.

T'Challa held out his hand and had M'Baku follow him out of the tearoom.

"This was unnecessary. You could have spoken to me before running off to tattle like some child," Adebiyi hissed.

"I tried to speak to you several times, but you were dismissive and rude. You left me no choice but to speak to the king."

"Now what? Am I supposed to get on my knees and beg for forgiveness? I did this project as a favor for my youngest sister. I could care less about working for you."

"Do you always have to be a dick?"

"I am forthright and honest."

"You are, and I get down with that… I really do Adebiyi. But sometimes you make me feel like I'm trash and it hurts me."

Disa held her head down, not expecting to tell him her deepest feelings. She turned away and wiped at her eyes.

"I have a lot on my plate... a lot of expectations weighing on me. I'm one of the first immigrants to your country, and my presence… my family's presence, has changed your country so much. I don't know if that angers you and makes you want to sabotage my work… or if you genuinely just hate anyone who isn't Jabari—"

"I don't hate you."

Disa glanced back at him. He lowered his head.

"I am sorry if I made you feel bad about yourself. In my work, I am always in charge. Working for you has been difficult. Sometimes I do not see your vision, and others pretend they do. I speak out because… that is how I am."

"It feels like you are attacking me personally, not what's on the table," she said.

"I will give the king my resignation—"

"I'm asking you to believe in me, Adebiyi."

"I do not think I can, Lady Abdullah. We are too different."

"This disappoints me. When I told your sister that I chose you, she nearly jumped out of her skin. She is so proud of you and your talents. Her last words to me when I saw her in person were, 'You will be so impressed with what Adebiyi can do'. She didn't even tell me you were her brother."

Adebiyi's eyes grew soft at the sound of his sister's name. His broad shoulders slumped forward, and he wiped his forehead.

"If you quit, it will only reflect poorly on you. Not me. I know what I'm doing and I need your gifts," she said.

He turned away and headed for the door. Disa wilted until he stopped.

"Do not mention this to my sister. I will stay and work with you. If my behavior upsets you again in the future… speak to me directly," he said.

She nodded, and he exited. T'Challa returned to her side alone.

"How was he?" T'Challa asked.

Disa shrugged.

"I hope he will do better."

"M'Baku will talk to him."

"I wish you had spoken to him on your own first."

"No. The Jabari prefer direct confrontation. I wanted the man to face all of us at once. Let me know if he doesn't work out. They revere him in the mountains, but he is not the only person capable of carrying out your vision," T'Challa said.

"Thank you. Goodnight," she said.

She squeezed his arm and left for her home.

Yani waited for her inside a chaotic living room with their children running around laughing and playing chase with laser tag toys. Dante took part, huffing about out of breath and holding his side. Riki raised his laser gun and shot a green light beam across the room, striking Dante's chest vest, and causing it to blink with flashing red and yellow lights. Sydette cackled as she took out her brother from behind with the help of Joba.

"Everything okay?" Yani asked.

"For now. We'll see in the future. Adebiyi is Ayomide's older brother."

"What?!"

"I know… she never said a thing to me."

Disa glanced around, watching all the chaos babies play with Dante.

"Can you spend the night with the children? I need to just get some things off my mind. Work… Challenge Day. I feel like I need a vacation from everything," Disa said.

"We can stay," Yani said.

Disa smiled, and Yani's expression changed. She glanced back at their children, then stepped closer to Disa.

"I have an idea and maybe you'd like to do it with me?" Yani said.

"What about?"

"I have a lot of vacation time accrued from the hospital and I want to go back to St. Thomas for Juvay. Would you be open to coming with us? Getting out of Wakanda will probably do us both good right now while Erik is away."

Disa stared at Yani, unsure of how to respond.

"Plenty of parties. The children can swim all day together, and my Aunt Leona will spoil you with her food. Twyla is going back, and I invited Marisol, too. It can be a fun Girl's Trip. Joba really wants to meet Jerome, my little brother. He's an iguana, but we treat him like family."

Yani giggled, and her eyes twinkled. Disa closed her eyes and clasped Yani's hand.

"I think a family trip is what we all need."

"You can come back energized and ready to handle that Jabari bully," Yani said.

Disa rolled her eyes.

"If he wasn't such a stubborn, annoying ass, he would be an okay dude… what?"

Yani grinned and put a hand on her hip.

"Hearing you say that sounds like you're talking about Erik."

"That probably will be him in twenty years. As much as the Wakandans act egalitarian with women, there are still some men here who want to drag us back to the stone ages."

"Mmhmm."

The screechy squeals of the children drew Disa's attention away. The three little ones looked so happy. Stress, family tensions, and mourning affected them too. She clapped her hands loudly and gathered their attention.

"Guess what?" Disa said.

"What?" all three children said, staring at her with shiny eyes.

"We are going to St. Thomas!"

Twyla, Marisol, Leona, and the rest of Yani's immediate family waited for them on the private boat dock as the Royal Talon Fighter floated down. A ramp slid out and there were excited whoops and shouts for their arrival. The balmy heat struck Yani, and she closed her eyes, inhaling deep the scent of home.

Riki and Sydette dashed off the Talon ramp and jumped into the arms of her parents and Leona. Her sisters hugged her and greeted Disa, Joba, and Dante. The weight of Wakanda slid from her shoulders. There were Dora Milaje assigned to them, but one of them was Noxolo, so she was happy that someone close to Erik was with them as their security. The children loved her and she looked around wide-eyed at the island's beauty.

"There he is!" Yani said, reaching for Disa's arm and pulling her toward Jerome, who lounged in a tree looking down at them near the swimming pool.

Yani gave them all a tour, and her childhood companion still ruled the compound. His skin was a little ashen around the end of his tail and the top of his crown, but Jerome still had a lot of life still left in him. Joba was nervous meeting him, but Riki climbed the tree and pet Jerome's back.

"Jerome, that's my baby sister. You be nice to her!" Riki shouted.

Her cousin CeCe brought her young children down from the second house and several other cousins had their kids, so the children disappeared with Noxolo tailing them. Dante sniffed the air and threw out his hands.

"Beautiful. Simply beautiful."

"And hot," Leona said, reaching for Dante's hand. "Let mi get you a cool drink and some food."

"Can't say no to that. How are you, my lovely lady?" Dante said.

The older relatives and her parents followed them up to the house.

"She'll be on the phone late tonight gathering up the hens to fix him up with one of her friends," Twyla said, sucking her teeth.

With the help of Twyla, Marisol, and CeCe, they collected all of their luggage on two trips before settling inside the main house for refreshments. The familiar odor of the dwelling hit her right away, and she paused in her steps. Disa looked around, admiring the artwork and layout. Yani touched her chest and shivered at the ghostly memories that rushed her.

Twyla and CeCe brought out mixed drinks with snacks, and they feasted. Marisol spoke of her fun hanging with Twyla and Cece for a week prior to their arrival. Her bubbly personality had CeCe in awe of her. By the time Leona called to meet up at the front house for dinner, all five of them were tipsy and bonded like a band of wild women out to have a good time. Yani's sister Anika hugged her and rubbed her hands across Yani's freshly clipped hair.

"You ever growing this out?" Anika asked.

Almost twenty-one, Anika was a big woman now, not that pesky little girl who babysat Sweet Pea in a cramped apartment. She wore her hair relaxed and long, liked her nails done, and became a fashionista working in a hotel boutique selling tourists expensive outfits. Pretty and full of youthful energy, Yani wondered if she would've been like that if she hadn't had a baby so young. Picturing her baby sister carrying a toddler around and juggling three jobs made Yani feel so weary for her younger self. Women needed time to experience life, and not have kids so early.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Anika asked.

"You're so pretty and funny," Yani said, stroking the ends of her sister's hair.

Taking her seat at a large table, her family broke bread with their new guests and it felt like old times… well… not quite… not until Kendall showed up with gifts and superstar energy. Yani ran to him when he swept into the dining room. Her cousin was a bigger celebrity now, and for him to take time away from Miami to be back home was a big deal and cost him money. He'd moved into producing more and there were international artists lined up to work with him in the states.

"I can't miss being with the Fam with Juvay coming!" Kendall shouted.

She stuffed herself with peas and rice, oxtails, and stew chicken. Leona piled their plates with mango glazed short ribs and spicy shrimp salad. It was a feast for the ages.

"Mi belly full," Yani whined.

Sydette rubbed Yani's stomach.

"Can we go swim at the cove?" Sydette pleaded. "Mi wahn take Joba there."

"After a nap," Yani said.

The children whined, but Leona and Yani's mother Paula led them to the second house for naptime. Her father, Halston, took Dante outside to talk and drink beer for men's time, leaving everyone else free to do whatever they wanted. Disa wanted to rest, and she followed Marisol to the room they would share in the main house, leaving Yani with Twyla.

"Look at you, Dr. Galiber," Twyla said.

Yani grinned.

"One more year and I will feel comfortable with that title," Yani said.

They shuffled on bare feet to sit at the end of the dock. The Royal Talon Fighter stayed hidden away under a camouflage shield near the private beach. If anything happened, they would fly away quickly, members of the Royal Family.

The tide was low, and they watched a cruise ship heading toward the port. Twyla nudged her shoulder into Yani's.

"Bibi and I are talking about marriage," Twyla said.

Yani's mouth fell open.

"I know, I know… working together brought us closer, and Yani… he believes in me so much!"

Twyla's voice squeaked and her legs jerked about.

"Did he ask you?" Yani asked.

Twyla held up her right hand where a posh diamond and vibranium ring sat. Yani grabbed her finger.

"I noticed this earlier, but since it wasn't on your left hand…"

"I don't want anyone here to know about it yet. You're the only person I've told. I told Bibi I would give him an answer when I returned to Wakanda. Oh, gyal, that man loves him some Twyla!"

Her cousin waved her arms above her head and they giggled like little girls again together. Yani hugged her.

"I'm so happy for you!" Yani said.

"God… Wakanda has given me everything. To think if I hadn't sent Big Man your way on Juvay… my life would be so… I don't know. Killmonger pushed my business proposal through and once he takes the throne, Bibi and I can open our Eco-Tours business together."

"Will you accept his marriage proposal?" Yani asked.

"I will. I know I've kept things private from you, but I wanted to make sure this was right… and it is. He wanted to come here with me to ask for my hand in person from my parents, but I want this just for me."

"Aw! Look at you crying with joy!" Yani teased.

Twyla grinned through her glassy eyes filled with tears. A few leaked down her cheek.

"He thinks I'm the most brilliant and beautiful woman he has ever seen. He was so shy about asking me out. Keeping things professional. We always ended up together at the end of the day. When we began scouting locations to open the business, I realized I needed him to make the company happen properly there. He just wanted to be a tour guide. There's something about him that makes me grateful to wake up in the morning. His love is soothing and sweet, and he can handle me like no man ever could."

Twyla gazed at the water and hugged herself.

"Look, I'm getting goosebumps talking about him," Twyla said, holding out her arms.

Yani watched her cousin's face as it twisted up with emotion and her bottom lip quivered. She rested her head on Twyla's shoulder.

"His family is well off and part of the River Tribe. They wanted him to go into politics, but he wants to be part of welcoming international visitors. He's learning English so fast because he's excited about meeting new people from all over the world. Wakanda makes him so proud and he loves looking at it through my eyes. Sorry, I can't stop crying—"

"You're in love and happy. Cry all you want," Yani encouraged.

Twyla looked at Yani and her face slowly became calm once more.

"Yani, I'm happy for you too," Twyla said.

"For what?"

"For you and Disa. I watched you both since you've been home today and that closeness is back. You were both so chatty with each other and it was like no one else could break that bubble," Twyla said.

Yani nodded.

"This last week has been so good for us. Planning the trip together. Packing. Talking about Erik. God, Twyla, I wish we had her around when we were coming up. I was so consumed with anger for months and pretending I wasn't still processing everything. It was like moving forward and back constantly… I was so wrapped up in mi shit and I lost sight of her feelings… her fears. I missed that friendship—"

"And her jokes," Twyla added.

Yani laughed.

"She has a filthy sense of humor that I love so much. Her stories about traveling and being Muslim and wanting so much to happen for the world… she's like me, but like… older, y'know? For months, it intimidated me all the time. Comparing myself, but she would just tell me that time would bring me to her level soon enough. She just had years on me. With Erik being away, it's like a fog lifted from my eyes and I can let my hurt go finally."

Yani focused on the water and wiggled her toes.

"You two staying down here all day?"

Kendall called to them as he swaggered down the dock with his expensive celebrity shades and designer beachwear. He joined them, smelling expensive and flossing his new Cuban link chain. Yani stood, punched Kendall's shoulder, and rubbed her hand all over his bushy afro. Twyla raised up beside him.

"Open your mouth," Yani said.

Kendall pulled back his generous lips as they saw the gold slugs on his bottom teeth copying Killmonger's signature look.

"Dem Yankee girlies love it," he quipped with pride.

The loud patter of feet from eight children stampeded toward them, led by Sydette.

"Riki!" Yani shouted.

Too late.

The boy leaped off the dock and made a big splash below.

"Things never change with that boy!" Kendall said.

Yani ran to the edge and started scolding him for getting his clothes all wet, but Kendall shoved her arm. She went flailing into the water, followed by Sydette and Joba. The other children made the leap too and Yani treaded in the warm water, scolding them all while laughing about it. The Black mermaid had returned. A wave lifted them all and Joba wrapped her arms around the back of Yani's neck.

"I got you, Joba," Yani said.

They splashed around for twenty minutes until Disa and Marisol showed up.

"Oh my goodness, what is happening out here?" Disa yelled down to them.

Marisol bumped her hip into Disa's, knocking her in, but Twyla shoved Marisol seconds later, who grabbed a hold of Twyla's arm and they both went in. Kendall laughed his ass off at everyone. Noxolo stepped into view and surveyed the scene. Kendall took a step back from her intimidating stance. The spear in her hand didn't help him feel relaxed, either.

"They're all safe and having fun," Kendall said with a sheepish tone.

Noxolo nodded once and went back to patrolling the property near the beach, keeping her eye on all the children present.

"Aye, Fam, I gotta run," Kendall said.

"Where to?" Yani called up.

"The new studio Solomon opened with Henry. I want to check out the new setup," Kendall said.

Yani glanced at Disa who dog-paddled with Joba.

"Disa, would you and Marisol like to check out the studio?" Yani asked.

"Yeah," Disa said, her eyes lighting up.

They led the children out of the seawater dripping wet and sand stuck to their shoes and legs.

"They are a mess," Twyla said.

The walk back up to the second house took a long time because the children wanted to play hide and seek and Riki became distracted by new iguanas on the property. They turned the kids over to all the aunties so that the adults could shower and change. An hour later, they strode through Leona's front house.

"How long will yuh be at the studio?" Leona asked.

She already had a large knife and garlic cloves out in her kitchen when they headed out. Yani kissed her cheek and tugged on the headscarf that covered her long, twisty gray braids.

"A few hours, Auntie," Yani said.

CeCe brought out bread dough from a pantry to form into dinner rolls. A tall Dora named Quamba walked through the kitchen, excusing herself for getting a bottle of water from the large fridge and placing it inside a side bag on her hip.

"Princess Yani, the car is ready for you and your guests," Quamba said.

"Princess?" CeCe scoffed, with a smirk on her face.

Disa, Twyla, and Marisol followed Quamba to the Wakandan retrofitted black luxury SUV in the driveway. Yani grabbed an imported nectarine from a fruit bowl sitting on an unused cutting table. She bit into it, munching while her aunt and cousin stared at her.

"I forgot to tell you, Auntie. Killmonger changed my status in Wakanda. Twyla and Sweet Pea too, because we come from Queen Mary."

Yani put away her fruit, then pulled out a personal copy of the proclamation with Leona's name on it. The shiny purple and gold lettering dazzled, and she handed it to Leona.

"The royal court of Wakanda recognizes you, Leona Galiber, as the descendent of a warrior queen who fought for her people. Whenever you visit my new homeland, you will be treated as an important royal visitor," Yani said with deep pride.

Leona held the parchment in her hand. Her hands trembled as she stared down at her name with the title "Queen" in front of it. Her eyes read the fine print and grew large.

"This here means what, Yani?" Leona asked.

"When he takes the throne, he will elevate you to the title of queen under his rule. Queen Mary came from St. Croix, and because he holds you in his highest regard, he will recognize you as the successor—"

"But my older brother should have this—"

"Killmonger chose you, Auntie. You were kind to him… cared for him. He won't acknowledge anyone else but you," Yani said.

"What about me?" CeCe said.

Her forehead creased with displeasure, and she bared her teeth along with heated eyes.

"What about you?" Yani said.

"I'm a Galiber too! I should get something!"

"The way you talked bad about him?" Leona shot back. "About Yani?"

CeCe cut her eyes away.

"Queen Mary's blood runs in me too… in my babies," CeCe said.

"Maybe he remembers how badly you talked about him and me," Yani said.

She put a hand on her hip.

"Remember when you said he would just use mi up and throw mi away? Every chance you got, you called him a wasteman… told mi I was a fool for laying up with him. Now you want something from that?" Yani said with an incredulous expression on her face.

"None of we knew who he was… not the real him. Mi only spoke because I was worried… Auntie, you know that," CeCe said.

Leona held the proclamation against her breasts and closed her eyes.

"I always knew there was something special about him. He was so different from the others… cool, calculating… considerate to me and mine. To know he thought about me so many times when I asked for nothing…"

Leona touched Yani's cheek.

"Go have a nice time with Kendall. Dinner will be at seven. Call me if yuh late and I'll keep things warmed up for all of you."

"Auntie, I can hire caterers to take care of everything while we're here," Yani said.

Leona waved her hands about and pushed her toward the back door.

"I want to cook. Our new family is here. They will have my best," Leona said.

Yani kissed Leona's cheek and bounced away as CeCe cut her eyes again and pouted.

Disa took in the lush scenery as they arrived at a home studio on the other side of the island near Sapphire Beach. Behind a luxury condo was a grouping of upscale homes, one of which had been converted into a musical hub.

Walking into it, she immediately felt the creative energy flow as Kendall introduced her to the owner/operator, an older man named Henry, and his partner Solomon, who nearly bent over backward for Yani. A small crowd of eager recording artists sat in a large front room waiting to head into a sizeable recording studio that was stuffed with exceptional sound recording gear and some session players. Her gaze fell upon the empty drum set and her palms itched to hold sticks and play. Kendall sensed this and asked Henry if Disa could play on them before his next track recording. Smitten by her curves and the way her hips swayed, Henry loaned her his own sticks, eager to see if she was as good as Yani claimed.

Disa kicked off her kitten heel sandals and hiked up her lime-colored wrap-around skirt. Warming up by tapping the ride cymbal and testing the high hat, she launched into one of Kendall's last records and Yani's cousin lost his mind when she funked the beat up more than the original record. Henry stood outside the enclosed room with his engineer staring at her with his mouth open through the glass window. The band that had been on a short break joined her with Yani, Marisol, and Twyla stepping into the space with them. Kendall tapped the soundboard and his bright voice flooded the studio with excitement.

"Yani, sing!" Kendall begged.

"Sing what?" Yani said, with her hands on her hips.

Disa scooted her left food securely over the bass pedal and tapped a new rhythmic beat that the bass player followed in a jam session freestyle. The keyboardist peppered in runs and the guitarist grinned while plucking some nasty licks into the mix. Disa eased into her pocket queen groove and the bass player bobbed his head and twisted his lips at how wonderfully stank the sound was. She stayed on the one, and the studio band followed her lead.

"Make up something! You always make up songs," Kendall declared.

Yani glanced over at Disa.

"C'mon Yani! I got this on lock!" Disa said, slamming hard on the crash cymbal to emphasize her point.

"Goddamn!" the bass player exclaimed as Disa switched up the beat and rode the high hat for a spell before going down into the pocket and working the kickdrum.

Yani shook her head and shied away from one of the two standing mics, but Disa switched up the beat again, creating a dancehall cadence that made all the men yell with pleasure. Twyla stepped up and rapped a flow over the beat, and tugged on Yani's sleeve to drag her in.

"Yani, this shit is hot!" Kendall yelled over the speakers.

Yani stepped in front of a mic and closed her eyes, feeling the music.

"Them call mi muma heavy Bumpa big and mi likkle flat belly Young and healthy mi nuh done like credit Wuk fi mi things cyah seh mi beggy beggy Suh move up, cuz afta mi nuh idle Bitch yuh time up, and mi know yuh wish yuh did nice suh A gooda my fault mek the man a hide yuh Cuz everytime mi walk mi skirt a ride up…" **

Marisol and Twyla squealed and jumped around Yani as she laid down her lyrics. Kendall ran into the room and snagged the other mic, rapping bars that enhanced Yani's playful hook. Disa played with the drum beats more, banging out intricate rhythms that Yani and Kendall slid over effortlessly. Yani turned to face her and sang to Disa directly, playing with the sound of her voice, until Disa stopped playing and waved to Kendall.

"Can we record this? I mean, do an actual taping and redo what you all did?" Disa asked.

Kendall looked back at Henry through the studio glass.

"Henry?" Kendall said.

"I'll pay for the studio time," Disa said. "This is too hot to let it disappear."

"She's good for it, trust me," Kendall said. He winked at Disa, not letting on that Disa could buy the studio ten times over what it cost.

"I'll pay for the studio time of the talent waiting outside if they'll let us sneak in this set before them," Disa offered.

Henry clapped his hands and cued up the boards with the assistant recording engineer.

"I can't even remember what I said," Yani moaned.

"Kendall, you start first and Yani can sing her part right after… add all those ad-libs you did, Yani. Then Twyla, you jump in and we'll have Marisol come through with some Portuguese to give it an international flavor," Disa said.

"Okay band director!" The bassist said.

Disa worked out a plucky intro with the guitar player and showed him how she would come in after him with the bass player. She arranged, directed, and had them performing like they were her own band. The sweetness of Yani's voice made the recording full of sugary pop flavor, and Twyla's deeper voice coming after her cousin's added a rich boldness to the sound like an old-school dancehall queen tone that added heat to all of Yani's sweetness. Marisol's mellow voice gave the track an elevated spice.

The joy in Disa's playing bled through the session, taking her mind away from work and worrying about showing Wakanda her best efforts. They left the studio together in elevated spirits, riding around the island where Twyla pointed out landmarks and great bars. She let the window down and luxuriated in the breeze blowing over her face and curls.

Leona fed them well, and the children entertained them with stories until it was their bedtime. Resting on a pool lounger, Disa drank a glass of wine, stretching her legs, and inhaling the fresh scents of flowers and the ocean. Yani and Marisol joined her, reclining in comfortable shorts and t-shirts.

The next couple of weeks took on the same pacing of swimming, eating, visiting tourist spots, and Yani's old job at a protected mangrove. She guided them on canoes and Disa snorkeled, delighting in the wondrous schools of fish that swarmed around her. Twyla had them on humorous walking tours and showed them statues of the Three Queens, and she snapped plenty of holopics of the one representing Queen Mary.

When they weren't with family, Disa's favorite time spent there was with Yani talking about Erik's consortium and sharing her sketches of what she drew for Yani's vision of a proper birthing hospital for Black women. They spent long nights imagining the beautiful spaces newborns would be born in. Yani had introduced her to a doctor mentor that cared for Sydette when she nearly died, and they walked on Yani's private beach, staring at the stars in the sky and listening to the crash of waves.

"We have worldbuilding resources to do whatever we want, Yani," Disa said.

They walked barefoot into the water, letting the warm liquid lick at their ankles. Standing side by side, the words sank in.

"How does it feel to shape history?" Yani asked.

"Humbling. Scary. Fate really took over our lives meeting, Erik," Disa said.

Yani nodded. Her gaze turned distant, and then she pointed over to some craggy-looking rocks that curved out to sea.

"That's where I was shot," Yani said.

"Oh shit," Disa said.

"It was the last time I saw him. He told me to finish school to be a doctor and watched me swim into the ocean with Sweet Pea on my back and Riki inside of me. I miss him, Disa."

"I do too."

"I see his vision... I see what he wants to do. I worry I'm not qualified, but he believes in me… believes in us. The day he left, I went to his office and saw all the important things he wants to accomplish, and I want him to succeed," Yani said.

"In school, he always talked about what he wanted to do, and the conviction in his voice… his demeanor… there is no way Allah will allow him to fail. He has us. His children. He always had spunk and determination," Disa said.

"Mpilo told me that is what he had on his face when he left. Determination. I'm so glad you came here, Disa," Yani said.

"I am too."

Disa's kimoyo lit up. She gave an enormous sigh.

"What?" Yani asked.

"My head of construction. I need to take this."

"Stay. I'll go back up and give you privacy. Dominoes by the pool at nine."

"Hopefully, I won't have to scream at this man," Disa said.

Yani smiled and left her to her call.

Disa took a deep breath and tapped her kimoyo. Adebiyi's stern face floated before her.

"I'm on vacation. This couldn't wait?" Disa asked in a pleasant voice, trying to bite back on her annoyance. Answering him was a simple courtesy for her friendship with his sister.

"I would not bother you, Lady Abdullah, for simple matters. I want to inform you of some underwater seismic activity off the coast that is concerning. We have halted work until we can determine how aftershocks will affect us. A tsunami warning was issued for our coast, along with Kenya and Niganda's coastline."

"Thank you for telling me personally," she said.

Adebiyi wasn't in the palace anymore with M'Baku. He looked to be in his own private residence.

"King T'Challa has sent a crew to check our floating foundations for any damage."

"I would like daily updates until I return," Disa said.

"This could push us back on your deadline," he said.

"I don't care about that right now. Safety is important. Has there been seismic activity like this before?" she asked.

"Not as alarming as this one."

"Please call me at this same time tomorrow," she said.

"As you wish."

Adebiyi hung up first, and Disa felt a sense of relief flow over her. T'Challa was on top of it and the deadline for completion delayed was a nice breather from Adebiyi in person and dealing with her team back at the office.

She glanced over at the spot where Yani had been shot and walked toward it, trying to picture a woman fleeing for her life and that of her children. Turning around, she looked at the sand and the path back toward the main house. Somewhere, there was a mass grave filled with dead men that Erik had buried.

The world wouldn't know what hit it once he came back to the palace.

Disa couldn't wait.

Chapter 58 HERE.

Author’s Note:

** The lyrics Yani sings is Jada Kingdom’s “Badum” see video below after tag list!

Tag List:

@readingaddict1290

@issimplyaamazinggg

@eyeknowmywrites

@kitesatforestp

@fd-writes

@soufcakmistress  

@cherrystainedlipsbaby

@tclaybon  

@thadelightfulone

@allhailqueennel

@bartierbakarimobisson

@cpwtwot

@shookmcgookqueen

@yoyolovesbucky

@raysunshine78

@the-illlestt

@terrablaze514  

@l-auteuse

@amirra88

@jimizwidow

@janelledarling

@chaneajoyyy  

@sweetestdream92  

@purple-apricots

@blackpinup22  

@hennessystevens-udaku

@scrumptiouslytenaciouscrusade

@bugngiz

@stariamrry  

@honeytoffee

@meilintheempressofdreams

@tyees

@eye-raq  

@writerbee-ffs  

@chocolatedream30  

@childishgambinaa  

@mygirlrenee

@thewaysheis—awkward

@tchallasbabymama

@lahuttor

@goodieyaya

@post-woke

@soufcakmistress

@yomiloo

@goddessofthundathighs

@nahimjustfeelingit-writes

@retroxvailles

@cydneyrenee4

@nizzle-mo

@cecereads209

@childishgambinaax

@gopaperless

@bombshellbre95

@tchallasbabymama

@musicisme333

@sister-winter73

@nccu-rnc

@sj206260358

@blmcd57110

@griot-of-wakanda

[opinated-user]

Not gonna lie, Lily Orchard and Mysterious Mr Enter feel like the same genre of person when it comes to their writing (although, in Enter’s defense, at least he isn’t a predator or an active danger to anyone. This comparison is just about their creative processes)

Like they both criticize children’s media and and use that background to try to create their own content… while inadvertently falling into every problem they eagerly point out with other people’s works. Mr Enter tried to create Growing Around, and fell into every pitfall that he criticizes with SpongeBob and every “bad” cartoon he reviewed. Lily will point out supposed “bigotry” in the most benign cartoons, but that same internalized bigotry leaks out into everything she writes even when she tries to avoid it or subvert it. And BOTH are super prickly when it comes to criticism of their work, despite never holding back when it comes to insulting the work of others.

I think it demonstrates one of the biggest things people often forget… the creative process is very complicated. It’s impossible to never create mistakes in your work and just because you circulate around certain media doesn’t actually mean that you can accomplish it yourself. It’s a LOT harder to create art than it seems. It’s not enough to be fueled by spite and the idea that “I can do it better.” You need to have creative drive and an ability to take criticism yourself.

the issue is that you can't create a story only thinking of what others should have done or how to avoid "criticism" from the bat. you should create stories because you have something to say and want to say it. spite can be a good motivator into doing creative work, but it can't be your one and only motivation the way through because you'll always run out of it eventually and all you're left with is just a response that won't resonate with anyone else who didn't had that spite in the first place.

[semi-imaginary-place]

naruto blogging part 1: where i read a bunch of naruto/boruto spoilers after not touching the franchaise for like 12 years and what i learned infuriated me so much i dug myself into the hole of actually finishing reading the naruto manga

Ew orochimaru lived. And one of the boruto characters is a child he artificially created? WHO LET THIS MAN NEAR CHILDREN????

I miss when naruto used to go feral where's the naruto that threatened to break every bone in sasuke's body so he wouldn't be able to run away. Kemonomimi naruto would be so cute.

gaygayhomosexualgay. Sun moon imagery and everything. naruto reading straight porn: this is boring

The power creep looks so bad. like i got worse? of course it got worse. this is what made me drop shippuden the first two times. back in those days i still had hope for kishimoto's writing.

whats really interesting is that i remember back in the 2000s when people were making post canon fanworks for naruto and sasuke as like konoha jounin and everyone gave older naruto longer hair, like not long but longer than in canon. and kishimoto makes a timskip adult naruto and shaved him.

boruto aliens. why are there aliens???? another reason to never read boruto. I can't believe they made Sasuke AND Naruto deadbeats. Family is so central to both their characters this feels insulting. they should have matching arms. boruto timetravels??? if that wasn't blatant nostalgia bait i'd almost think it a good concept.

Itachis plan is so stupid. Teach him only hate and expect sasuke to be well adjusted. Juxtaposition of fragility and power

Naruto is so gay his only image of a hot girl is himself with boobs but when he tries to picture hot dudes he perfectly replicates details of half a dozen men. And whatever he has going on with sasuke. Im never reading boruto but i do think its funny how everyone says naruto and sasuke have more chemistry with each other in it then they have with their actual wives, that they married. Sakura deserves better someone free her from this franchise.

Showing a flash forward to everyone married is usually a terrible way to end a series. Hell i can only think of one series that does it well: ao no flag and thats because ao no flag does flag does it in a way that enhanced the manga's central themes of life is a series of choices that each person should make for themselves for their own happiness and circumstances of their lives no one else has a right to condone of judge another (including the audience. With naruto is was very much a "everyone must be heterosexual and have kids to be happy right? This is what everyone obviously wants" and then pairs off some of the people with the least chemistry is a way that goes counter to their characterization and development. With ao no flag the gap is purposeful the audience does not know what happened in those 7? 10?idk how many years and we have no right to condone or approve of the choices made by the characters. That time gap also serves to highlight how ao no flag is a series about adolescence on the edge of adulthood and that while a critical period of time, it is alao fleeting. It is a time of massive change, growth, and maturation and that means that characters change and become different people on the other side and the author is letting us peak into that otherside. First romances and highschool sweethearts rarely last because they are learning experiences and through that process people often outgrow their first romantic relationship and come out the otherside better for it

They reanimated an amv for the 20th anniversary and like half of it is just naruto and sasuke.

Miss the days when naruto would grow fangs and go feral. Imagine is he got fluffy ears and a tail. Maybe i just like kemonomimi.

I'm still not over how ridiculously bad itachi's "plan" was with sasuke. Theres a pretty good argument for kishimoto not knowing what he wanted when he first introduced itachi.

he really did lose it after itachi, his "plans" at this point are just his whims, all he knows is that he wants to kill someone

[jborra]

First Blog to myself

I write this to the air space since no one else is listening

Facing another tough day by myself it becomes hard to keep going after over 7 years of debilitating issues, misunderstood by medical community thus untreated, … living with cognitive confusion and executive dys functioning that hindered logic or reasoning to navigate out of the situation on my own. Physical pain that immobilized. Mental insecurity and dark sadness. Then the nightmare of anxiety on how to even carry on this way.

I feel left alone to rot away because of a society that does not understand my illnesses. Yep multiple issues, though I was mostly initially plagued by depression for most of my earlier life.

I lost a successful high paying 30 year career, even sadder that my coworkers were unaware or not interested in my absence. I spent much of my energies on my ex husband and raising a family with full time working while father of my children took a pass on any helpful responsibility. After 15 years of that day in and out is when the physical illness overtook what little strength I had left. Coming home to a stressful household was too much to bear, and I had to go through with divorce. I wanted separation from a toxic husband however I was shocked to realize my teen children did not want to see me for the next several years, with no known explanation.

I’m now Estranged from all of my siblings and both parents after they could not stop criticising me during my chronic health issues during the separation of my nuclear family . All I asked for and needed was Love and Caring… the kind of Support that would elevate me from the lowest depths of my life. They know I’m at my lowest, they know I lack social connection and my kids, lost job due to disability… they simply criticize me for most of it. They tell me they do not want to support me for the things I did/do to hurt myself, but here’s my glitch…I don’t know what I did wrong. I just tried doing what I thought was best, and sure I make mistakes. But I didn’t deliberately make decisions knowing my entire life energy was at risk.

Lonely depression, crippling anxiety, physical incapacitation, food that was harming me more than nourishing me… I became suicidal , on a recurring basis. It was torture and a living nightmare. But nothing would kill me… the illnesses only create unending suffering.

I had already been through therapists and rehabs unsuccessfully in previous decades for depression. More recently I even tried crisis hotline…but the conversation got stuck on assuring i wasn’t suicidal , instead of helping me process my current thoughts which are creating sadness and immobility. It was the loneliness going through it for 10 years that was the most hurtful…. My heart was broken … by everyone i knew that left me forsaken knowing I was suffering.

After finding miracle progress on physical pain and fatigue, and even some improvement with cognitive and memory, in the last couple months I am having more better days than I ve had in years. But it’s not stable. And diet issues are an ongoing obstacle to my physical energy, and potentially to my mental energy.

today I can’t get out of bed. Hello darkness my old friend. This hasn’t happened in weeks so It’s tough to be stuck here again. My thoughts go right into my isolation and lack of support and no way to get through this down period on my own. And I’m afraid my thoughts will continue to devolve without intervention. An ‘innocent’ check in by my mother the other day turned critical quickly, and so while previously handling an annoying listlessness I devolved into old pattern of suicidal thoughts , that no one cares about me and I have no way to survive this on my own. I cried so hard, I do it openly in my car now.

So I know I have to cut off my toxic family. But who’s left?

I ask a question Ive pondered many times before … where do I go to get through this? What do I do to get through this? I cannot even move my arms much to even type this post. Walking to see nature, crafting something to see possibilities, or any activity to distract is like moving a boulder off my chest to breath. I’m unable to manage it with my own wits. I feel broken to a shell.

[makoonsplayschool]

Understanding what is Good Touch: Building a Safe and Nurturing Environment for Children at Makoons Preschool

At Makoons Preschool, our mission is to nurture the next generation of leaders by creating a supportive and engaging environment that fosters creativity, confidence, and strong moral values. A vital aspect of this nurturing process is ensuring that children understand the concept of what is good touch and how it plays a critical role in their emotional and physical safety.

In today’s world, where children are exposed to a variety of influences, it is essential to equip them with the knowledge to differentiate between a good touch and an inappropriate touch. At Makoons, we go beyond academics to provide lessons that help shape the values and self-awareness of every child. Let’s explore what good touch is and how Makoons Preschool integrates these teachings into our child-centric learning approach.

What is Good Touch?

Good touch refers to physical contact that makes a child feel safe, loved, and cared for. This could be a hug from a parent, a pat on the back from a teacher, or a high-five with a friend. Such touches are positive and help foster emotional security and trust, promoting healthy emotional and physical development. They also reinforce the idea that the child is valued and respected.

At Makoons Preschool, we emphasize the importance of teaching children what is good touch, as it helps them understand personal boundaries and emotional safety. By empowering children with this knowledge early on, we help them develop into self-confident, aware individuals who can better navigate social interactions and situations.

How Makoons Teaches About Good Touch

At Makoons Preschool, we take a proactive approach to educating children about good touch. Our child-centric learning environment ensures that every lesson is tailored to the developmental needs of the child, helping them grasp the concept in an age-appropriate and engaging manner. Here’s how we incorporate these teachings:

Age-Appropriate Learning: We introduce the concept of good touch in a way that young children can understand. Through interactive activities such as storytelling, puppetry, and role-playing, we teach children about safe physical interactions. This approach makes the learning experience engaging and easy to understand.

Building Trust: Our educators work hard to establish a bond of trust with each child. This trust is critical in teaching children about personal boundaries and good touch. When children trust their teachers, they feel more comfortable discussing any concerns they may have, ensuring that they are able to express themselves openly.

Empowering Children: At Makoons, we empower children to assert their personal boundaries by teaching them how to confidently say “no” when they feel uncomfortable. Whether it’s declining a hug or saying they don’t like a certain physical interaction, we encourage children to voice their preferences and stand up for their own comfort.

Modeling Respectful Behavior: Our staff members model the behavior we want our children to learn. We respect each child’s personal space and demonstrate what is good touch through our actions. By doing so, we reinforce the idea that every child has the right to determine how they want to be touched and interacted with.

Creating a Safe and Nurturing Environment

At Makoons Preschool, creating a safe, inclusive, and supportive space for every child is at the core of everything we do. By fostering a nurturing environment, we ensure that children feel comfortable exploring, learning, and growing without fear. Here’s how we ensure safety while teaching about good touch:

Open Communication: We encourage children to communicate openly about how they feel. By fostering an environment where they can comfortably express their thoughts, we help them build emotional awareness and confidence in discussing topics such as good touch and personal boundaries.

Parental Involvement: We believe that parents play a significant role in reinforcing lessons about good touch at home. That’s why we engage with parents through workshops and regular discussions, offering them tips on how to continue these conversations and practices at home.

Safe Practices: Makoons maintains strict policies regarding physical interactions between staff, children, and peers. All of our staff are trained in understanding and practicing appropriate conduct, ensuring that every touch aligns with the principles of good touch. We also teach children how to interact positively with their peers, promoting kindness and respect.

Why Understanding Good Touch is Crucial for 21st Century Children

In today’s rapidly evolving world, it is essential for children to be equipped with the tools and knowledge to recognize and respond to inappropriate situations. Understanding what is good touch helps children protect themselves while developing the emotional intelligence needed to navigate their social environment confidently.

At Makoons Preschool, we are deeply committed to ensuring that every child not only receives a strong academic foundation but also develops into an emotionally aware and resilient individual. Teaching children about good touch early on empowers them to make informed decisions about their own bodies, setting the stage for future leadership and confidence.

Conclusion: Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders with Emotional Intelligence

At Makoons Preschool, we understand that the leaders of tomorrow must possess both academic knowledge and emotional intelligence. By teaching children about what is good touch, we help them build the self-awareness and confidence needed to thrive in the 21st century.

Through our child-centered approach, we ensure that every lesson is crafted to meet the unique learning style of each child, helping them grow into confident, self-aware, and emotionally intelligent individuals. Together with parents, to provide a strong foundation of trust, empathy, and respect — qualities that will shape today’s children into the leadership icons of tomorrow. Contact us for more information.

[madamlaydebug]

Gender Confusion directed to Children

Currently, the agenda to produce as much gender confusion as possible is being directed to children, as issues around transgender and sexual orientation are becoming integrated into the educational curriculum, some at the state level. In many cases, this is presented extremely early on to very young children who are not equipped with critical thinking skills, emotional regulation or parents that are readily informed and prepared to help support their child through the process of discussing sexuality. Again, to the NAA, the earlier they can confuse gender or sexually traumatize a child, the better it is for generating mind control slaves that enforce their anti-life programming throughout the culture.

The design of human sexuality is binary, as the human body is genetically designed to engage in male and female sexual reproduction based upon the natural Universal Laws of Gender Principle and the Law of Polarity that is evident throughout creation. The first directive of sexual intercourse is reproduction. However, gender identity as well as any other identity we want to be, is created from our thoughts, beliefs and the way we think in relationship to the values placed on the male or female physical body that we are inhabiting. Yet, whether we are incarnated in a male or female biology, which holds specific genetic markers for defining a male or female biology, we have both principles operating at some energetic level simultaneously, based upon the Laws of Gender that are integral to our human blueprint. Our inherent design to expand consciousness within is to bring energetic balance and healing to both the male and female aspects of our gender principle that exists inside of us.

When people confuse transgender identity with being in a body that they believe is the wrong gender, they are confusing their feelings about identity, by not recognizing that they are simultaneously masculine and feminine while they inhabit a body with a genetic marker of being a biological female or biological male. Gender roles and gender identity actually are thought forms and belief systems that are not connected into the genetic marker of our biology, they are mainly what society has conditioned as gender roles which in many ways are designed to confuse or enslave us. There are many reasons for gender reversal sensations happening inside the human body, many of which are based in trauma-based mind control, abuse and the lack of knowledge about how the lightbody and physical body are interconnected and function together.

Hence the danger of consciousness traps generated by gender reversal in the aggressive agenda to politicize the transgender movement, because when we reject or repel our natural state of biology or skew our perceptions of male or female gender, we reject the core spiritual essence of ourselves. When we live outside of the natural laws, we suffer greatly.

Many children and adults that have mental fragmentation and painful sexual trauma around gender confusion, are not recognized by others around them as in dire need of compassionate spiritual support, emotional healing and recontextualization around gender roles. Trauma sets up patterns in the brain and nervous system which skew coherent and clear perception, as well as shut down the heart from receiving unconditionally loving frequencies. Thus, many traumatized people that are run on self-delusions are used by the Controllers to promote this same sexual confusion through transgender ideologies. The traumatized are vulnerable to become pawns in further spreading sexual misery programing, especially into the younger generation. Transgender ideology is a specific psychological warfare tactic being run by the Controllers, in tandem with Transhumanism, to counter and prevent spiritual ascension. These satanic agendas are designed to condition people to reject their own bodies, and to generate delusions that can have them mentally identify with anything else but actually being a human and unconditionally loving toward their own body. In promoting the removal of body parts humans can disfigure their physical body in ways that destroys the energetic integrity for embodying the soul, monad and avatar body, which is just what the negative aliens desire. It is designed to be a rejection of the spiritual self, and a rejection of the natural laws that are inherent in the blueprint of a human being, which if aligned properly would naturally awaken the consciousness in that individual.

Obviously, the agenda to use the Transgender issue to bolster political agendas with gaslighting in order to confuse and manipulate the public, does not underestimate the incredible pain, confusion and frustration that many transgender advocates are experiencing. All people deserve compassionate communication, caring and understanding for the difficult plight of their personal suffering. However, we must be aware that there is a global agenda to normalize mental, emotional and spiritual disease, as a way of life. To claim civil rights for those people that are mired in traumatic based delusions and a history of self-destructive abuses, fits right into the Controller master-slave narrative for promoting human enslavement. Observing the staggering statistics of suicide in transgender people, including after reassignment surgery, we can recognize that changing sex organs through operations and cutting off body parts, does not solve the anguish of extreme mental, emotional and spiritual crisis.

[music-lessons-blog]

The Power of Music Lessons: Why Everyone Can Benefit

Music is a universal language that transcends age, culture, and background. Whether you're tapping your foot to a beat or singing your heart out, music connects us all.

For many, learning to play an instrument or understanding the fundamentals of music is a dream. Music lessons open the door to this creative world, giving individuals the skills and confidence to express themselves through sound.

In this blog, we’ll explore why music lessons matter, who can benefit from them, and the numerous advantages they provide.

The Importance of Music Lessons

Music lessons are more than just learning how to play an instrument or sing in tune—they are an investment in personal growth. They foster discipline, creativity, and emotional expression, skills that extend far beyond the realm of music.

Structured Learning: Music lessons offer a structured way to learn and progress. With a teacher guiding your journey, you’ll gain a clear understanding of techniques, theory, and practice habits.

Cognitive Development: Studies have shown that learning music enhances brain development, particularly in areas like memory, problem-solving, and spatial-temporal reasoning.

Emotional Outlet: Music is a form of emotional expression. Playing an instrument or singing allows individuals to process and release emotions, providing both comfort and a sense of accomplishment.

Cultural Understanding: Through music lessons, students are introduced to various musical styles and genres from different cultures, fostering a deeper appreciation for diversity.

Who Are Music Lessons For?

The beauty of music is that it’s for everyone—young, old, and everyone in between. If you’ve ever wondered if music lessons are for you or someone you know, the answer is likely yes.

Children: Music lessons for children help them develop critical early learning skills. It improves their ability to concentrate, enhances coordination, and fosters creativity from a young age.

Adults: For adults, music lessons can be a rewarding hobby or even a new career path. It’s never too late to start, and many adults find learning music to be a relaxing way to de-stress from their daily lives.

Seniors: Seniors benefit greatly from music lessons, as learning music can keep the mind sharp and agile. It’s also an excellent way for seniors to socialize and remain engaged.

Families: Music lessons can be a bonding activity for families. Learning together or supporting a family member’s musical journey creates shared experiences that can bring families closer.

The Benefits of Music Lessons

Whether you’re a beginner or someone looking to refine your musical skills, music lessons offer countless benefits. Here are some key reasons why music education is worth pursuing:

Improves Academic Performance: There is a strong correlation between music education and academic achievement. Music students tend to perform better in subjects like math, science, and reading, as the discipline required in music also applies to academic learning.

Boosts Confidence: Mastering an instrument or performing a piece builds self-confidence. Students learn to set goals and achieve them, fostering a sense of pride in their abilities.

Enhances Coordination and Motor Skills: Playing an instrument requires the simultaneous use of both hands, fingers, and often feet. This coordination not only improves motor skills but also strengthens brain function.

Increases Patience and Discipline: Music requires practice and perseverance. The process of learning to play a song or perfecting a technique teaches patience and the value of hard work over time.

Reduces Stress: Music has therapeutic qualities, and many students find that playing an instrument helps them relax. Focusing on music can provide a break from daily stresses and offer a sense of peace.

Encourages Creativity: Music is a creative outlet, allowing students to express themselves in unique ways. It encourages out-of-the-box thinking, whether through composing, improvising, or interpreting a piece of music.

Conclusion: Unlock Your Musical Potential

Music lessons are a lifelong gift that enhance creativity, foster discipline, and provide countless personal and social benefits. Whether you're looking to develop new skills, relieve stress, or simply have fun, music lessons offer something for everyone. Don’t hesitate to take that first step and embark on your musical journey—you might be surprised at where it leads you!

Music is for everyone, and it's never too early or too late to start learning. So why wait? Reach out today, and discover how music lessons can enrich your life.

[healthychildrenbook]

Building Strong Bodies and Minds: The Role of Books in Teaching Kids About Nutrition

In order for children to grow and develop properly, nutrition is essential. It's important to create lifelong behaviors that support wellbeing rather than only consuming nutritious food. Books that convey complicated concepts in an enjoyable, interesting, and approachable style are among the greatest resources for teaching kids about nutrition. Young readers can learn about food types, the value of vitamins, and how the body uses various nutrients to be strong and healthy by reading well-written books with nutrition-themed content.

Why Nutrition Education Matters

Youngsters frequently adopt the behaviors they observe in others. Young children's early exposure to nutrition information may impact their decisions for the rest of their life, whether it's from their family's eating habits or what they observe in the classroom. Children who receive nutrition instruction are better able to comprehend how their diet impacts their mood, growth, and energy levels.

For a non-preachy approach of imparting these concepts to kids, books can be the ideal resource. They use interesting narratives, colorful images, and likable characters to make learning about food enjoyable. Best books to teach kids about nutrition provide children with the knowledge and skills to make healthier decisions for themselves by elucidating nutrition in relatable terms, such as eating for improved play, increased height, or increased happiness.

Key Concepts Covered in Nutrition Books

Balanced Eating Habits: Books about nutrition usually begin with the importance of balanced eating. They explain the various food groups—fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy—and why each one is vital for health. Many books depict a well-rounded meal on a plate, giving children a visual representation of how much of each food group they should eat. This helps them recognize the importance of variety in their diet, encouraging them to try new foods.

Understanding Nutrients: Another key concept is helping kids understand the roles of different nutrients. Nutrients like vitamins, minerals, proteins, and carbohydrates are essential for growth, energy, and fighting illness. Books can break down these complicated terms into bite-sized concepts for children. For example, some stories explain how calcium helps build strong bones or how vitamin C keeps the body’s immune system strong.

Healthy Snacking: Teaching kids about the difference between healthy and unhealthy snacks is critical. Many books address this by offering alternatives to processed, sugary snacks and explaining why fresh fruits, vegetables, or nuts are better for their bodies. Through relatable characters and fun narratives, children learn that healthy snacks give them more energy for play and study, while sugary snacks can make them feel tired or cranky.

Listening to Your Body: Children also need to learn about listening to their bodies’ signals—like hunger and fullness cues. Books that address mindful eating encourage kids to eat when they're hungry and stop when they're full. They promote the idea that food is fuel and eating should be done when the body needs it, rather than out of boredom or habit.

Positive Attitudes Toward Food: One of the most important lessons is cultivating a healthy relationship with food. Books about nutrition help kids see food not as something to be feared or restricted but as something to be enjoyed and celebrated. Instead of labeling certain foods as "bad," these stories focus on moderation and balance. Children are encouraged to make choices that nourish their bodies, without guilt or shame.

Engaging Children Through Fun and Storytelling

Nutrition-themed books often include games, quizzes, or interactive elements that keep children engaged. Some books have sections where kids can plan their own meals, helping them apply what they've learned. Stories featuring characters who overcome challenges related to food or nutrition can help children relate these concepts to their own lives, making them more likely to adopt healthier eating habits.

Conclusion

Nutrition education for kids doesn't have to be a hassle. Books that are entertaining, instructive, and engaging can help your children discover the best ways to nourish their bodies. Books offer the resources to make nutrition education engaging and enduring, whether it's about recognizing food types, recognizing hunger signals, or selecting healthy snacks.

We at Healthy Children Books are committed to offering tools that facilitate the development of healthy eating habits in children by parents and educators. A lifetime of well-being is built on the foundation of healthy eating habits formed in childhood, and our books are here to support you every step of the way.

[link1builder]

The Essential Role of a Speech Therapist in Childhood Development

In 2024, more parents and educators are recognizing the pivotal role a speech therapist plays in supporting children’s communication and overall development. Speech and language skills are critical for effective interaction, learning, and social engagement. When children face difficulties in these areas, early intervention through speech therapy can help them overcome obstacles and build strong communication skills.

What Does a Speech Therapist Do?

A speech therapist specializes in assessing, diagnosing, and treating speech and language disorders in children. These professionals help children who struggle with speaking clearly, understanding language, or interacting socially. Therapy sessions are typically tailored to meet the specific needs of each child, focusing on improving their ability to communicate effectively.

Some areas that a speech therapist works on include:

Speech Sound Disorders: Assisting children in producing sounds correctly and improving speech clarity.

Language Delays: Helping children understand and use language appropriately for their age.

Social Communication: Teaching children how to interact with peers and adults in various social settings.

Stuttering or Fluency Issues: Supporting children who experience difficulty in the rhythm and flow of their speech.

Why Early Intervention is Key

When it comes to speech and language development, early intervention is crucial. The earlier a child receives support from a speech therapist, the better their chances of overcoming communication barriers and thriving both academically and socially.

Here’s why early intervention matters:

Faster Progress: Children’s brains are more adaptable at younger ages, which means they can learn and implement new speech and language skills more quickly.

Better Academic Outcomes: Early speech therapy can help children build the language skills they need to succeed in school.

Enhanced Social Skills: Speech therapists focus on improving social communication, enabling children to build stronger relationships with peers and adults.

Reduced Frustration: Therapy helps reduce the frustration children feel when they are unable to communicate effectively, boosting their confidence.

When Should You See a Speech Therapist?

It’s not always easy to determine when a child needs speech therapy. However, there are some signs that indicate your child might benefit from professional support:

Difficulty pronouncing words or being understood by others

Challenges in following directions or understanding what is being said

A limited vocabulary or slow development of language skills

Struggling with social interaction, such as initiating or maintaining conversations

Stuttering or other fluency issues

If your child exhibits any of these signs, it’s worth consulting with a speech therapist to assess their needs and create a personalized plan.

The Speech Therapy Process

Working with a speech therapist involves a thorough assessment of your child’s speech and language abilities, followed by the development of a treatment plan. Therapy sessions may include activities that help your child practice new sounds, improve vocabulary, and enhance their social interaction skills. Speech therapists often work closely with families and educators to ensure that progress is made in everyday settings as well.