Shuri, Daughter of Ramonda's Day Off

1.

She opened her eyes to a new day. Shuri's head felt lighter these days. She had now spent over a month in Haiti. She used that time to make up for lost time with her nephew, little T'Challa, who wore the same smile on his face as his father did. As her brother did.

But as much as she wanted to stay with Nakia, Shuri needed to be on her own. She lost five years of her life being dusted, and the last two years in absolute pain and grief. Now she burnt her ceremonial robes and she felt her brother's hand on her shoulders in the wind, the same way that mother had described.

Go , he seemed to tell her. Be free for once.

She was the protector of Wakanda. She was still her princess. And while Wakanda now has a king, Lord M'Baku would gladly engage in warrior combat should Shuri want the throne or when the time came for little T'Challa to be king.

Apparently he had known too.

"Shurri," Nakia had grabbed both of her hands and clutched them into hers. "Why won't you tell me where you are going?"

"I'll be fine.'' I'm not going to visit the fishman," Shurri gave a soft smile. "I just want to be me for now."

"You mean bury yourself in your technology?" Nakia looked like she was going to start a lecture, but she cut her off just as quickly.

"No, usisi . I'm going to be a 21-year-old."

She hadn't realized it because Haiti was warm, but it was the Holiday season now. Chicago was decked out in fairy lights and the streets were already filled with snow. Shurri wasn't new to snow, but she still didn't like it as much as she could. She flew into Chicago on a plane. No big aircrafts, nothing big to show.

I will be a normal person, Shuri thought to herself. That still didn't stop the TSA's eyes from building when they saw her diplomatic passport.

"Bring it in!" Riri wrapped her arms around Shuri when she arrived. Riri was the first person she thought about. She had after all asked Shuri out to a bull's game. It was a little public and Shuri feared those audience cams that may single Shuri out as the princess of Wakanda.

"I have so much to show you," Riri exclaimed. "You need to have a nice Chicago pizza. You need to see the bean -"

"What's so special about the bean?" Shuri had looked it up, but she still didn't get it.

"You have to see it for yourself, baby," Riri laughed. "How long will you be staying?"

Shurri's heart skipped when Riri called her baby. She knew it was a term of endearment, but that didn't stop it.

"Over Christmas, if that's okay for you. Or I can leave -"

"Nuh, huh, you're going to have one big fat American Christmas," Riri interrupted. "No but's. This is the first time I am seeing you with a dora."

"Ayo threatened," Shuri smiled. "But she thinks the Black Panther is allowed to walk around alone sometimes. Just as long as I don't turn this off."

She held up her bracelet.

"Man, I need to get myself one of those."

Riri had showed up to the airport with her red car.

"It's working well, no?"

"Absolutely perfect, though the motor isn't what it used to be."

"We can work on that."

"Yeah, let's do that."

Riri's mother was home when they arrived. She was cooking dinner and walked hastily to the door when the keys jingled, signaling their arrival.

"Mama?" Riri called out. "We're home!"