"When one is in love, a cliff becomes a meadow."
- Ethiopian Proverb
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Omniscient
A melody of moans slipped from Mbali's mouth, while her left hand remained against the headboard, keeping her steady. Her nose gently brushed against Eriks, each time his skin hit against hers. Mbali's eyes started to flutter and her right hand started to slowly slip from Erik's bicep, before the depth of his voice broke through every thought she was trying to process. "So damn beautiful, you know that?" His hums turned into moans. Mbali could feel the heat spread to her face, and her response get caught in her throat when another thrust was sent into her.
Mbali's nails sank into Erik skin, making him hiss at the sensation. To match his response, Mbali pressed her lips against his, now cupping both sides of Erik's face.
They don't remember how they ended up in the situation that they were in, but Mbali didn't mind it– it was taking both of their minds off of the problems at hand for a few minutes. One minute, they were laying in bed, talking about the next few steps in this new 'lockdown' initiative, the next, they were in this position. Erik slowly put space between the two of them, resulting in Mbali's brow to furrow. Her frowning making her resemble a little kid all over again as she tried to pull him back into her. Grabbing both of her wrists in one of his, Erik pulled Mbali towards his lap. "Get on top."
Mbali took in Erik's appearance, making the sensation between her thighs ache even more. His skin was practically glowing– it wasn't glistening like you'd expect. He kept his locs in a bun on his head as it practically grew by the day. She could tell it was starting to frustrate him, but he wasn't ready to get them redone... and cutting them was out of the question. Mbali's hand went towards his chest, positioning herself on top of him before feeling him glide into her. Mbali's eyes closed instantly and she took a deep breath, adjusting to the new position. Placing kisses against her jaw, Erik began to groan at her taking him so easily. His hands went towards her waist, kissing between the valley of her breast each time their skin connected.
Typically, Erik didn't consider himself a 'gentle' lover– he didn't really consider himself a 'love maker' at all, until recently. He knew fucking was his specialty, but he enjoyed the look Mbali had in her eyes when they were genuinely having sex. It was fulfilling to Erik, but in a different way. It gave him a certain joy of knowing that only he could make her feel this specific way.
At times, they were verbal with each other, when it came to being intimate. However, Mbali enjoyed letting her thoughts be the most vocal at times. Some things she would think, but never actually say out loud– and it was something that actually turned Erik on. It was the fact that she would hold out on saying specific things, and keep them only between the both of them, when they reached their own peaks. Mbali's body rolled against Eriks, wanting to feel him against every part of her– her pants being the only sounds coming from her mouth, while her thoughts were loud.
"Fuck." She thought between the both of them, and a mouthful of other profanities and series of positions she wanted Erik to place her in... he wasted no time making them a reality.
Pushing him flat against the bed, Mbali trailed her lips against his neck gently, listening to the sound of his breath escape from his lips. "You look nervous." She teased.
"I'm trying to not break your pretty ass in half, cause you know I want to." Erik thrusted into Mbali, making her lips part before she took her full, bottom lip between her teeth. Reaching between them, Erik gently pulled her lip from between her teeth, holding her jaw in place as he thrusted again, slower than before. "You're getting close? I feel you."
"Mhmm."
"You don't have to hold it for me, let it go." He grunted, keeping the same pace. A sloppy kiss was placed on Mbali's lips. Rubbing circles along the swollen bud between her thighs, Mbali's body began to convulse, and the knot that was forming in her stomach started to unravel. An airy "Oh my God." Slipped from her lips, feeling twice the amount of pleasure in the same sitting. It didn't take long for Erik's release to follow after hers.
Riding out her high, Mbali pressed her chest against Erik's. Looking up at him, she casually put her hand over his eyes, pecking his lips. "I need to go to the bathroom." She mumbled. "Come with me."
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Mbali sat in the bathtub with her back pressed against Erik's chest. His fingers worked through the wet coils of her natural hair. The only sound that was filling the bathroom was the soft music that was playing from Mbali's room— she always preferred to take baths in her own bathroom, due to there being more tub space.
Erik could feel the shift in energy that was coming from Mbali. It was a heavy feeling that made the air feel thick. For once, he wasn't sure how to address it, but he wanted to. She fiddled with her hands in the water, tapping her nails against Erik's bare knee. Mbali looked directly out of the large window that was in front of them, staring out into the dark sky. Her thoughts were swimming, and she couldn't put anything into words for once.
It was like their roles were reversed.
"What's wrong?" Erik asked her, noticing how her head fell onto his shoulder.
"I don't know." She shrugged. "I'm trying to figure it out... but I don't know what I'm trying to figure out."
"What all are you feeling?" Reaching across from him, Erik grabbed the lit herbs that were different from any other typical American weed. Inhaling the smoke, he let the aroma sit before releasing it through his nose.
"Warm, scared, happy, angry, peaceful— they're all contradicting each other, and it's hard to put the others into words."
A sigh left Erik's mouth, and Mbali knew what was coming next. "Im not saying that you don't make me feel safe. If I felt that way, I would've told you. I feel safe with you, there's just this annoying what if feeling."
"As in, what if I don't make you feel safe?"
"No, I don't know how to explain it." Mbali shook her head, growing frustrated at the thought.
A hum came from Eriks lips, "I'm not gonna force you to explain it." His fingers tapped her arm.
The warm feeling came back to the pit of Mbali's stomach. It made her slightly forget about all of the mess that went on today; especially with the temporary lockdown that was going into place. "To keep you in the loop, T'Challa talked to me when we made it back home, there's going to be another meeting tomorrow, but he's bringing in some new people that we haven't met before."
"I thought we weren't letting people in or out of Wakanda?" Mbali frowned, turning to look at Erik.
"Shit, I guess T'Challa had a change of mind when it came to some people."
"Did he tell you who?"
"Not a chance. He just told me to be ready for tomorrow."
Silence fell between the couple. It was one that would happen on occasions, but Erik knew Mbali's mind was starting to wonder even more. "See, I shouldn't have told you, now you're gonna be thinking about this all night."
"Logically, N'Jadaka, can you blame me?" The irritation oozed from her lips– and Erik knew that Mbali picked up the habit of calling him by his other name only when he was starting to irritate her. "Again, this is a different field that I'm dealing with. You don't know Wakabi like I do, and he's not exactly the top person I'd want to be moving around behind my back."
"I don't know him like you do... you're right. But, I know I've done enough fucked up shit in the past that can count for everything me, you, and Wakabi did. So I know that I'm at least dealing with a less of the two evils, baby."
"What time do we have have to meet T'Challa in the morning?"
"I meet with him at ten." Erik corrected.
Mbali's eyes widened, turning her body completely to look at Erik. "Andivanga?" Excuse me? She scoffed.
"You're staying here. I don't need you stressing anymore than you already are, Uthando." Love.
"Sukundithanda!" Don't 'love' me! Erik could hear her heartbeat start to dance even more. "You don't get to make the choice of it I stay or go with you, it's my job."
"You right." He nodded. "It is your job, and it's also your job to listen to whatever I tell you to do. So if I say I want you to sit this one out for the both of us, you're doing that. It's not a request."
"Don't try to assert your authority on me when it's convenient for you–"
"You can talk all that big shit that you want, Mbali. But at the end of the day, you're staying here." He could feel himself becoming irritated. "I don't need you being around to hear anything that's gonna trigger you, until T'Challa decides what moves he wants to make."
"N'Jadaka, I'm not a kid!"
"Is that why you think I'm having you stay back? Because you think, that I think, you're a fucking kid?" Erik tapped out the remainder of the blunt he had in his hand. "I'm having you stay back because I saw how you reacted yesterday. I saw you shut down mentally, Mbali– nobody else did. Is that me saying you can't handle the shit? No. That's me saying let me handle the shit until I have enough information for the both of us. I know you like to try and handle everything, but sometimes the ball isn't gonna always be in your court to do so."
Mbali had a blank look in her eyes, letting Erik continue to vent about her, to her. She was angry, and she knew that he could tell.
She didn't care.
Mbali knew that Erik meant well, but something that was hard for her to grasp was the idea of someone wanting to handle things without her. That concept wasn't something she was familiar with. She continued to let him talk to her– letting his words go in one ear, and out the other.
"I know we're both not used to this caring shit, but when you have someone who cares enough to try and deescalate the situation, you gotta let them, baby."
"Okay." Was the only word that left Mbali's mouth. The splashing of the water went back and forth, as she pulled herself from the bathtub and grabbed her towel.
"See, you can act like that all you want, it's childish."
"It's me removing myself from the conversation so that I can gather my thoughts." Pointing at Erik, Mbali corrected him. "I'll stay here tomorrow, like you commanded."
"You're about to piss me off."
"I don't really care. Goodnight, N'Jadaka." Adding an extra level to her pettiness, Mbali turned out the bathroom light, leaving Erik in the dark. His head rolled back against the brim of the bathtub with a sigh. "Sleep in your room."
Minutes passed, and Erik gave in. One, because he didn't feel like dealing with a pissed off Mbali; and two, because he didn't feel like walking to his own personal level in the house. Wrapping the towel around his waist, Erik walked the short hallway and made his way into Mbali's bedroom.
Dressed in a blue silk nightgown and her now dried coils pulled up into a poof at the top of her head, Mbali eyes Erik. Her brow was raised and her arms crossed.
Walking to his drawer, Erik reached his hand inside to grab a pair of sweatpants. Swiftly dropping his towel, he pulled them on and went to place his kimoyo beads on his now assigned side of the bed. Eventually, Mbali's voice broke through the uncomfortable silence, "I could've sworn I told you to sleep in your room tonight—" she frowned. But before she could get her own words out, she could feel Erik's hand wrap around her throat with a gentle force.
A light gasp came from Mbali's lips and Erik placed his own against hers; nearly taking the breath out of her own body. His lips formed against her own, making her head tilt back and her come to her knees on the bed.
Mbali's hands ran against Erik's shoulders, deepening the kiss before moving his lips away from hers. "You gotta be the only person to still talk shit, after getting dick. And I need you to pipe all that down. Uyaqonda?" Understand?
"I just want you to see things from my point of view." Mbali huffed, feeling the heat spread around her face and lower regions all over again. Dropping his hand, Erik shook his head, trying to keep his composure.
"Baby for months now, I've been seeing things from your point of view. Not a fucking day went by where I wasn't trying to see things from your point of view— and you know how hard that is for me to do because of the mindset I had." Erik sat next to Mbali. "And I still try to see things from your point of view, that's why I prefer to stay in your head half the time. I need you to see this shit from my point of view."
Crossing her legs under her, Mbali waited patiently for Erik to continue. "I understand the title you have— I get all that shit. But, I... I care about you too much. Way too fucking much to let you do anything that's gonna disturb you. I need you to see that from my point of view. Nobody is telling you to sit at home and be a pussy. I'm telling you to let the nigga who cares about you figure out what steps to take, to make sure nothing goes wrong."
"Okay." The sheepish tone came from Mbali's lips. "Thank you." She pecked his lips sweetly.
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"No Mbali today?" T'Challa asked Erik as they walked down the halls of the palace.
Still in there respected tribe colors; only this time, T'Challa made changes to Erik's attire. Not only was it blue, to represent the tribe that Erik was over, but gold was now added, symbolizing his tie to the border tribe and the royal family.
"Nah, she stayed back. She wasn't feeling good today."
T'challa watched his cousin from the corner of his eye, offering up a small chuckle. "You two are interesting."
"Here you go with this bullshit." Erik mumbled, already knowing where the conversation would turn.
"By all means, I mean it in the best way possible. Just like I told Mbali, you two are similar souls, just on different paths. Why do you think I put you with the border tribe?"
Erik returned the same took to T'Challa, that he was once giving him. "Despite what Wakabi has done, I could have placed you over just about any tribe— the border tribe is one of the hardest to replace a leader for; but not impossible. You and Mbali seemed too fitting."
"So you planned all this."
"I wouldn't say that. I may have helped orchestrate what Bast had already created."
Changing the subject, Erik directs his attention to the back of a woman. Her hair was long— practically waist length and fell in dark curls. She had specific, colorful fabric that was draped over her shoulder and the skirt matched. "Who're these people you called here?"
Pursing his lips, T'Challa let out a sigh. "Apparently, Wakabi hasn't only been making stops in Wakanda, but to other foreign locations also. Some elders to specific groups came by to share what they know. Come." He instructed Erik through the large doors.
Eventually, he came in contact with the woman he saw walk inside. A large gold nose ring hung from her nose and connected to her ear, and despite her eyes being dark, they were piercing. Others were in the room that Erik didn't know, but the specific woman kept her eyes on him.
"N'Jadaka, this is Aarvi of Tamil. The descendant of Baani—"
"Earth." Erik interjected, instantly knowing the meaning to the name.
"You know of my people." She smiled.
"Studied them." Erik nodded.
"Aarvi, this is Prince N'Jadaka, son of N'Jobu."
Erik studied the history of Baani while in M.I.T. Although it had nothing to do with his education, he studied it nonetheless. He knew that's why Aarvi looked familiar. She was human, but almost immortal. Death couldn't cross her, and she simply wasn't allowed to age.
Aarvi was peace, but she was also chaos. It wasn't something that she chose, but it was something that she had to control. She was a balance of good and bad, peace and chaos, love and war. She wasn't similar to Bast, but Erik was almost positive that Aarvi may have crossed paths with Bast over many centuries. Just as Wakanda was tucked away and hidden from the rest of Africa, Binu was tucked away, and hidden from the rest of Tamil. Still functioning like any other location, just with its own belief systems, rules, and ways of life... like Wakanda, just not as technologically advanced. They depended more on Baani and Aarvi's powers to nourish Binu.
Aarvi's mother was Baani— the creator of everything in Binu. A deity, a woman who was known; yet unknown, a master of elements and magic of Binu— earth. Aarvi was created by Baani, and the human that she was with, resulting in Aarvi to be seen in the physical and spiritual, unlike her mother. Erik's seen Aarvi in books and museums, but never in the physical. Many outside of Binu didn't believe she was real— but she was.
"It's nice to meet someone who believes." She smiled, her eyes turning from a dark brown to a jade, and back.
"I'll introduce you to everyone else soon, but Aarvi knows more about Wakabi than the others."
Looking at T'challa, Aarvi's appearance changed from sweet to sinister. "அவர் இறக்க வேண்டும் என்று நான் விரும்புகிறேன்." She spoke in her native tongue.
'I want him dead."
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CHAPTER UNEDITED
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THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE UP YESTERDAY BUT I COULDNT FIND THIS GIRLS @ ON INSTAGRAM TO SAVE MY LIFE AND I WASNT ABOUT TO UPDATE IT WITHOUT HER PIC BEING ADDED 😂
ALSO "TAMIL" is an actual place.. it's real y'all lol the ONLY things that are made up from this portion are Aarvi, Banni, and Binu. Those are actual names of women, but Banni is NOT an actual culture of Tamil or Southeast Asia and it's not an actual place. I had to make all this up to add some spice while still adding actual Tamil/Southeast Asian/Hindu information 😂
With that being said lmao what do we think of Aarvi from the short intro?
What do we think of Mbali and Erik?
I know y'all are probably about to be like "WHY ISNT ERIK SAYING I LOVE YOU YET TO MBALI AND WHY ISNT SHE SAYING IT EITHER"..... idk either fam lmao
Are y'all ready for other cultures to come into play? 👀
Some others are coming tooooo and you hear it from meeeee