Perry’s husband is a big and I mean Bid, man He’s about seven and a half feet tall and bulk. He reminds me of the anime characters in Bak–the big guys who fight each other into a bloody pulp to prove they’re the strongest Azen boves those shows, and he’s convinced Uncle Jones is one of them Personally and him denying I wonder they dye their hair to be as pretty as it is, it’s a stunning white. It looks like satn. His entre demeanor sowas danger, and Perry swears bes nothing but a huge teddy bear
Like, where?
The main house, as Perry calls it, is eight stories of gorgeous gothic madness. The area the picked out for us to stay in is insane. I feel like I traveled back in time or stepped into a world where varores might make me incane while 1 sleep. Ayme is loving it
There’s a little girl here. She follows one of Perry’s handmaidens around and keeps to herself. Ayde tried to get her to play. but she looked at my daughter with a very mature look of contempt before walking away without saying a word. My baby took that personally and I’m sure she’s plotting a way to make her pay for that before we leave. I don’t think I want her around that little girl. Something just doesn’t seem fit.
Arnold and Jonas are talking as if they were old friends. Perry has a group of friends with us. Jordan, Lillies, and Tulips. They’re together–the three of them. I’m not sure how that works with the girls being identical twins, but they seem to get along great. Jordan was assigned to be our guard, Perry says he was her guard before she turned into a Lycan and that he is the best at his job. I find that comforting
“I noticed that there aren’t very many children here, I tell Perry as we walk through her spooky garden maze.
“Yeah, it’s a reproduction problem. It’s not easy for Lycan females to have kids. Often, they die during childbirth. More than often, during conception,”
‘Like during the child–making part?” I all but scream, making her laugh.
“Yeah, Lycans are she pauses, looking at me a bit embarrassed.
‘Say less. I get it, I wave her off. I don’t, but I’m already freaked out a little–mostly about her well–being.
“How are you feeling?” she asks, changing the subject out of the goodness of her heart. Bless her.
Ronestly, I don’t think I’ve ever been better, all things considered. “We get to the center, where there’s a tea party table set up in an Alice in Wonderland theme.
“Ah! Ayrie screams, runs over to it, and then looks back at Perry. “Is this for us?”
“It sure is,” she smiles. The twins excitedly go over to all the snacks.
“Thank you for this,
“Don’t worry. Jonas and I were there when it was all prepared, and no one knew it was for you guys, she says, taking my hand and leading me to the table. It always makes my stomach shrink when they talk about how many times someone has tried to poison them with food.
“The little girl inside, I look over at Perry.
She takes a deep breath. Even Ayrie takes notice, and instead of bombarding her with questions, she sits quietly. Maybe she also senses something off with her.
“I’d like for you guys not to say anything about her to anyone or engage with her. She’s not–ugh. I don’t know how to explain what she is. But she was created in a lab. She hasn’t been out much, and she’s like me. Only with the instability of an eight–year–old.*
She holds her hand out to produce a little violet orb. She makes it bigger until it pops, creating a colorful shower of I am not brave enough to unpack how my mind has been blown.
“You have superpowers?” Aizen asks with an enthusiasm I’ve never seen before.
Ayrie looks between them as she finishes off one of the little teatime sandwiches as if they’re having a casual conversation. Okay, I am alone in this fear. I’m tucking it away for later.
“Kind of,” she nods. “Promise not to mess with the little princess in the creepy mansion?”
“We promise,” the twins say in unison.
“I’ll make sure of it,” I agree.
“After lunch, we’ll go into the pack lands at court. There are lots of other kids there. It’s low–key annoying,” she grins. The twins go into a question frenzy about Lycans and what they can do. Perry loves their attention, and she’s trying her best not to curse or say anything that might scare them. The wolf inside of me has been very quiet since I woke up, but now she’s very alert. We can sense that Knight is close by. I’m not sure how close, but I know he’s near.
超
80
This place, not just the house, is very eerie. It’s brand new and looks like a Gothic catalog with a dash of a cursed prince who’s never known love. The trees almost feel alive. Now that I know supernatural things exist, I can’t help thinking that everything is now somehow magical. I’m a little scared and excited to see things with my new werewolf eyes.
Midnight is just as excited, and I wonder if it’s because of how things are now modern to her I’ve been having dreams. They’re kind of specific. It’s like she’s trying to show me things I need to remember for her. Some of them are gory. Like watching old war movies but with werewolves.
I haven’t been able to put my pencil down. Since I’m not the one driving us around lately, I’ve had plenty of time to draw and not just new designs. I’ve been practicing my detail skills to make the designs better. I don’t know. I might be way in over my head with this whole City of Phoebs shit with everything going on.
“This is very good,” Mr. Knighty takes my sketch book from me.
“Pop–pop, mommy doesn’t like it when you take her stuff, Ayrie says, taking the item out of his hand and closing it before handing it back to me. “Not nice,”
I set the notebook on my lap and nod when he looks at me as if I had offended him by teaching him manners. I shouldn’t have to, and neither should my five–year–old. It’s common sense, and if it’s not. It should be.
“She’s right,” I scratch the back of my ear.
“You’re pretty great with a pen,” he says. “I got ahead of myself. My apologies,”
“Thank you. I’m not very good at the details yet. I never really had to add the details to the mannequin,”
“So why now?”
“Well, these aren’t for anyone other than me. I don’t have to stick to the basics. I always hated that. I’ve always felt the blueprint itself has to match the vision. Not just any face can go to this specific design. If the makeup artist doesn’t look at the design and say fuck, this is not going to be easy; how am I guaranteed that the vision will be as it’s made to be?” I cover my mouth because I know what just came out of it is a little insane. He stares at me for a moment before turning away. * Sorry,”
“Don’t apologize. I know what that’s like. Has it ever been done?”
“What?”
“The vision. Have you ever brought the vision to life as you pictured it?” he asks.
I turn to look at my daughter, who has been the only one who has worn things I didn’t have to change because of the brand. I drew her costume designs specific to her baby doll like features. She has been the muse for my best designs because she loves the attention she gets from standing out the way she does compared to the other little girls who want to be fairy princesses just like her.
“Too little for the amount of work I’ve done, honestly. I’ve always been told I won’t always get the desired outcome. That I should be satisfied by the progress, not what is being left behind,”
“Tough pill to swallow,” he scoffs knowingly. “How do you balance your work ethic and your parenting skills?”
“Really?” I grin.
“Yes, I am genuinely curious,” he nods as he looks both ways at the intersection we’ve stopped at.
“They’re completely different things,”
“I don’t see how. You must guide them. Teach them. Ensure they don’t burn down your work,”
“They’re kids. Yeah, you’re right. You do have to make sure they learn to be good, but that’s not all they need. You’re the parent. You have to let them know that things are going to happen even if they hurt. There’s nothing wrong with dusting them off when they fall. I can’t even count how many times I’ve failed at something that was very important.
“It’s fucked out there already. I don’t know if you had to start your business from scratch, but I did, and I can tell you that there were times when all I needed was a smile from literally anyone to keep me going. I don’t ever want them to go through what I did. They’re going to learn that it’s not great out there eventually.
“They should know that if they ever need it, I’m a safe place to hide from all that. The rest doesn’t matter. They’re going to choose what they want to be regardless of what I want. I’m satisfied knowing that they’re going to be great because they’re my kids,”
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