the curse - 1 - [rottmnt - COMPLETED]

#96

"Oh damn it!"

Shiro stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom and tried to braid her hair. She absolutely had to get them hidden before she went off. In front of her on the edge of the sink were a black cloth and a black beanie - and one of the two had to work!

But she had never tried to control her mane, and her short hair had been far less complicated.

She sighed and made a watch appear over her bracelet. She still had an hour before she had to leave for the airport, and she was a ruffled bundle of emotions.

With an annoyed groan, she leaned on the edge of the sink and looked at herself in the mirror.

"Now, don't get sentimental."

-

"Where's Shiro?" April asked the brothers, who were sitting in the kitchen with sad faces.

"She's struggling with her hair and doesn't want to be helped." growled Donnie

April smiled and went to the bathroom.

Looking in, she saw a fierce-looking Shiro standing in front of the mirror, trying in vain to braid her hair in even strands. She was dressed normally now and was wearing a black hoodie, black jeans and even black high-top sneakers. April was a bit irritated, she had never seen Shiro with shoes - but knew that she had to travel as inconspicuously as possible.

Her hair was now quite in the way.

"I'll help you..." said April and walked inside

"No, I got this..." Shiro answered annoyed

"That was not a question." April simply replied and reached for the brush that lay in the sink. "Where are the hair ties?"

Shiro rolled her eyes with a snort, but said nothing more.

-

10 minutes later Shiro sat on a stool and watched spellbound in the mirror as April conquered her hair and she found that THIS was the true art of magic.

April braided her a hairstyle that kept her hair close to her head.

They smiled at each other in the mirror.

"I hope you are sufficiently armed." said April

"Aside from my lack of skills when it comes to hair, yes. I am." Shiro answered and thought of the Katana, which was lying next to a medium-sized black sports bag in the kitchen in a scan-safe box that Donnie had made for her. At the airport, it will only be a big music instrument case for everyone. And besides that, she had her bracelets and felt well-equipped with one and the same Ninpo, but one from the past and one from this time. Not to speak about her own Ninpo. But hopefully she wouldn't need that.

"We will miss you, Shiro." said April, looking at her in the mirror, but Shiro bowed her head and started to knead the hem of her hoodie.

"I'll miss you guys too, April. Will you keep digging up the facts about Tomoe's past for me?"

"I will, Shiro. I'll keep you posted with Donnie."

Shiro raised her eyes at the mirror and returned the look. April briefly heard a whisper in her head, so light and quiet it could have been her imagination.

"Father...?"

She stopped for a moment while braiding and looked at Shiro seriously.

"Come back, yes?" she said.

"I will, April." said Shiro in a firm voice.

-

The small village in Nepal was 42 km north-west of the district capital and about a five-hour walk from the nearest road. Spring was in the air, but there were still patches of snow on the bare landscape. As soon as one enters the village with the small, squat houses made of mud bricks and thatched roofs, the viewer encounters free-ranging chickens, sheep, and goats in their pens and the water buffalo that are so important for field work lying in their stables