"for the beauty of the rose, we also water the thorns."
Descendant of Loa lineage, Karliah Shango stems from masters of Haitian and the old Oyo Empire Vodou. After the nuclear wipe out, she finds herself thrown into leadership with little comprehe...
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Karliah paced about Markus' study, running a hand over the dried herbs that hung from the ceiling. The two were finally able to sit in the same room with one another, the tension between them mellowing out after a day or two. Though, he continued to banter her with questions, attempting to decipher her intentions with Michael Langdon and if they were even worth it, considering the incident with Asim a few days beforehand.
She refused to speak to him, her nights anything if not restless in turn as part of her wanted to do nothing more than feel him next to her, his arms wrapped around her frame as the two dozed off.
A hum emitted from Markus, "Whatcha thinkin' about loverboy?" He asked as he laid out several pieces of decor for the upcoming Day of the Dead ceremony, something the residents of the kingdom needed to partake in now more than ever.
Karliah's brows tugged together, turning on her heel to face him with a confused expression, "Are you reading my mind?"
"God, no, I would never voluntarily get into that mess you call a mind - you're just thinking extremely loud." The girl scoffed in response, a reluctant grin growing on her face. He glanced up at her, raising a brow, "I know you're growing tired of my questions, but, he has to concern you sometimes."
Her smile grew pressed, "Yeah," she spoke through a breath, making her way over to the table he stood at, bringing a bundle of incense to her nose, "He can be a handful."
The man rolled his crystal-like eyes, "Yeah, well, he is the Antichrist."
"You know what I mean," she droned, wincing as the overwhelming scent of one of the bundles of incense met her nose.
A curious sound passed Markus' lips in response, "Yes, he may have ended the world, sacrificed a few people, burned the souls of the innocent, was even seconds away from crushing Asim's throat, but - none of that matters because you've experienced the same type of grief and pain that he has, and the prophecy has bonded you two together through that pain, and now, you've found out that after fucking him, he actually does have the capacity to love."
Karliah was silent for a moment, staring at the man in front of her blankly, before nodding curtly. "Well that's one way to put it."
"That's literally the only way to put it." He responded in a practical tone. "I mean, maybe after losing those recruits, I can understand why you'd make such a reckless decision, we need your powers now more than ever,"
He paused, setting down the folded tapestry in his hands before looking up at the girl, "I just hope you're not as stupid as you lead on."
Karliah tilted her head questioningly, beckoning for him to continue.
