SKINNY LOVE | ❝I tell my love to wreck it all. Cut out all the ropes and let me fall❞
BLACK PANTHER | T'CHALLA UDAKU
A HERO OF HEROES BOOK
Cover by: voidkhaleesi
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PRINCESS SHURI HAD A LITTLE HABIT OF FOLLOWING ZARINA AROUND. It began when she first started to walk, constantly rushing towards Zarina, much to her brother's chagrin, asking to climb up onto her lap or to help with whatever the older girl was doing. As time wore on, it became abundantly clear that, to Shuri, Zarina's words and actions were law, and if one wanted to find her, one only had to seek out the older girl who would often be blissfully unaware of the little shadow she had, trying to copy her every move and habit.
"Good morning, Princess," Zarina greeted with a smile, seeking out her father and finding him in the middle of trying to teach Shuri one of the more traditional aspects of their culture, though the girl seemed more interested in fiddling with the wires and spare parts he had gotten to appease her, much to the man's exasperation.
"Zarina!" the six-year-old cheered, racing over to her and pulling her into a hug, and the young woman easily scooped her into her arms, resting her on her hip.
"Shuri," she said, glancing over to her father who looked at her pleadingly, "Are you being difficult?"
The little girl pouted, shaking her head defiantly. "No."
"Yes," her father replied, running a hand through his nearly all-gray hair, "I am an old man, but not this old."
"You're as old as you are," Shuri called out, sticking her tongue at him, and Zarina watched the interaction closely, catching the slight lift of her father's lips as he looked at the little girl, and the way Shuri giggled softly into Zarina's shoulder.
"Am I being replaced?" she teased, moving to sit next to her father who reached out for Shuri, only for the little girl to smack his hands away.
"No," the man sighed, leaning his whole frame against the small table he and Shuri had been seated at, resting his head against the smooth surface, rubbing his hand, "You are much nicer to me than she is."
Shuri looked affronted at this statement, immediately reaching out towards the man who balanced her on his knee, the girl moving to fiddle with the collar of his clothing while he addressed his daughter.
"Why are you not with the prince?" he asked, and Zarina fidgeted at that, causing Shuri to try and copy her, only for her to nearly fall off Elewa's lap, if not for his steadying hand.
"Baba," she began carefully, shifting her position once more, "Do you think a man could love me?"
"I love you," he replied, feigning misunderstanding and she huffed in frustration, Shuri copying her.
"You know what I mean," she replied, and he relented, clearly seeing how distraught his daughter was.
"Well, Zarina, I would like to think you are capable of understanding something as simple as that, of course a man could love you, as could a woman or any person should they truly feel that way," Elewa replied, bouncing Shuri on his knee, the girl keeping quiet, however, as she could easily tell that something was amiss with the other girl.
