EFFORTLESSLY CHIC DUCK GOOSE

9 FEBRUARY, TUESDAY, 6PM

I went back to the golden birdcage rack to the tray of jewelry that Ki had set out and picked the white watch of many wishes. And then just for the heck of it, I tried on a set of bangles. Once I started, I thought I might as well, flipping the switch to open my wardrobe, I went into it to play fancy dress with sparkly things in the boxes - they opened at the touch of my finger, so I could open quite a few in no time at all.

Long chains with pretty diamond studs, brooches, rings, earrings, more bangles, tiaras, hair ornaments... wow, it's a whole fancy dress party in five boxes. I was just about to put on everything because I thought it would be funny to dress up like a Christmas tree, when I heard Savy outside, "Sam? Are you here?"

I left all the jewelry unlocked, but also untouched. Popping out of the wardrobe, I saw Savy setting up a hair dryer? No wait, it was a hair straightener? Hair curler?

"What's that?" I asked eventually, because that's like showing me a picture of a goose and asking me to name its breed. All I would be able to tell you was that it wasn't a duck - and I would be quite proud of myself too.

"Hair curler." Savy answered with a cackle, "Sam, you look like a goddess doll."

"No I don't." I sulked.

"You will." Savy promised, "Bell won't be able to take his eyes off you."

From what I understood, a hair curler curls your hair - not miraculously turn you into whatever a goddess doll was.

But it felt like ages since I last spent time alone with Savy, so I obliged her and sat down in front of my dresser and let her do her magic. Let's see what a goddess doll is supposed to look like.

"I haven't even seen your room yet!" I bemoaned.

"You're the one so busy you have no time to hang out anymore." Savy retorted.

Which immediately made me feel bad.

"It's fine. I've got lots to do too." Savy shrugged it off.

But I didn't feel any better about it.

I tired to think of something to say as Savy worked on my hair. This was the first time I felt like I had to make effort to talk to Savy.

"Why did you go running last night?" I asked finally. It was just the first thing that sprung up in my head.

Savy stopped work on my hair to study me with narrowed eyes, "Did Mum put you up to this?"

"No. I was just wondering." I said.

"First Mum, and now you...is it so weird that I went for a run?" Savy asked.

"It is if you're going in make up." I pointed out. Oh wait, that was what Mum said.

"Mum definitely talked to you." Savy muttered.

"But you hate running." I said, which was my own thought.

"I was just running to keep Lizzy company. She needs to keep fit so that her first shift would go smoothly." Savy said.

Oh. In that case, I guess...

"Is Lizzy going to shift?" I asked more urgently.

"Who knows? But we all got our shifting dreams early, and Ben and I have shifted." Savy shrugged.

"I guess it's better to be ready." I decided.

"Exactly." Savy said.

She had divided my hair into parts and was putting it through the curler. "Your hair is so long, I can only do the bottom section."

I shrugged. I couldn't see what was happening behind me so I had no opinion of it.

"Did Ki choose your outfit?" Savy asked.

"Yeah. Probably." I said.

"Yeah, I'm quite sure. It's his style." Savy said, "Very classic chic."

I nodded dumbly. Asking me to identify styles was like showing me a goose and asking me it's breed.

"It's close to mine. Although I personally prefer modern chic." Savy chatted.

At least I knew we weren't talking about chicks (or ducks).

We were talking about geese. Hahahaha.

From now on, if anyone asked about my fashion style, I would be able to inform them it was a mix between modern duck and classic goose. This would make as much sense to whoever asked as their question made sense to me. And I was going to answer with a straight face too. Just to see their reaction.

Savy thinks Lizzy's style is girlie whimsical, and Mum was a natural classic. Ben liked casual and sporty styles, but recently, Savy and Lizzy had observed he had taken to dressing like Harvey and Ki. They think he's finding his own style right now.

"You should start searching for your own style too." Savy told me.

"I'm a mix between modern duck and classic goose." I answered in all seriousness.

Savy rolled her eyes at me, but she cackled softly when she scolded, "Sam, I'm serious! Are you really going to let Mum and Ki style you for the rest of your life?"

Yes? But then I suddenly remembered Sabre saying that I couldn't expect Mum and Ki to always be around to clean up after me.

I frowned. I want to live with Mum and Ki forever.

"Our style is the expression of who we are. It's not called the art of self expression for nothing. It explores our self knowledge and self confidence." Savy lectured.

"Okay, what do you think my style is?" I asked Savy.

Savy frowned, "Sporty and casual?"

But she said it while wrinkling her nose.

And then she brightened, "What about Bell? What does Bell like?"

How should I know?

"Let's ask Ki." Savy got excited.

I sighed, good luck with that! Ki was at the Lorent's now.

Savy got off the mindlink, (Right, I forgot about the mindlink). She reported, "Ki says Bell's style is basic classic. And Bell prefers classy girls with long hair."

Really? For some reason, I had the impression he liked the cute type.

Savy nodded at my reflection, "Tonight, you're exactly Bell's type."

Well, I had the long hair. Was that why he was so obsessed with my hair not being cut? Because it was the only thing about me that made me "his type" on a regular day?

Savy finished the last curl, "All done!" She sprayed my hair with toxic fumes to make sure the curls stayed in place.

Savy was very pleased. I stood up to check out what was Bell's "type".

Savy had worked my hair so that they ended in locks of dark blue loose curls. She also used mascara on my blue lashes. I looked like I was cosplaying as the Moon Goddess, but not the magnificent and mysterious Moon Goddess that appeared sometimes in paintings. More like, if someone made a Moon Goddess doll...yeah. It was like a ...and I use the word in all reluctance, a "cute" cosplay of the Moon Goddess.

Yeah, even all dolled up, it was only the long hair that fell in mate's "type". I wasn't the classy type at all. Definitely nothing like girls Mate dated if Cynthia was anything to go by.

I sulked at my reflection.

"You don't like it?" Savy asked.

"I wish I looked more kickass." I told her honestly. Forget about Mate. I dress for me! Yeah, my style was kickass - whatever that meant.

Savy laughed at that, "But your face just doesn't have the look to carry it off."

Gee. Thanks.

Savy pointed to herself, "Just pretend you didn't know me, and look - what kind of girl do you see?"

That was easy! I've heard lots of ladies who didn't know Savy talk about her face, "You're pretty and cute, you look like a doll or angel."

Savy beamed, "Yes. Did you know that our faces are so alike that we could be mistaken as twins? The others can only tell us apart from our height and colouring."

Well our scent was different too. But haha, it's not like most people could come near enough to sniff us apart.

Yeah, I've been mistaken for Savy and vice versa before. Well, not since we shifted. Now we were quite obviously different people. Savy had turned very blond and now boasts Dad's steel grey eyes. I got the crazy blue hair and freaky blue eyes from goddess knows where.

I looked at our faces in the mirror, the same oval faces, high cheekbones, and full lips. We still looked like sisters.

But even the details were a little different, my nose and chin were more prominant so that she was more delicate looking. With her light colouring, she looked like a doll or fairy.

I looked like... I tilted my head to regard my own reflection. Maybe the curler did do miracles.

If I didn't know that was me, I would say that I was a strikingly beautiful girl.

I blinked. That was weird and kind of scary.

Looks can be so deceiving.

All you needed was a hair curler and three coats of mascara.

"Dad and Mum are ready to go. We better go downstairs. I have to babysit Sabre. Don't tell Mum, but Lizzy is coming over too." Savy grabbed her magic tools and tossed them into the tote she used to bring them up.

I followed her down to the main door where Dad was waiting - in a full dark suit! I stopped short.

Well minus the tie. Dad hated to wear ties.

The last time he wore a tie was at his own Alpha Investiture. He was very proud of that fact too.

But it was mum that was the showstopper. A string of pearls and her hair pulled up elegantly in an updo. White against a dark maroon ceremonial dress wrapped over with a gorgeous maroon lace. Dad draped a short brown fur coat over her shoulders. She smiled, touching her earrings, her bangles softly tinkling as they fell back on her lifted arm.

Wow. I had not expected that.

Harvey and Ben were also at the door. Both in navy blue suit and black shirt and tie. Was it just me, but my betas looked best in suits. It made them look taller and sharper, even if they were wearing slightly stunned expressions. Hahaha wonder what rocked their world.

"Oh, Sam!" Mum exclaimed.

Sabre looked at me wide eyed and then she reached out at touched my hair reverently from behind. I calmly ignored the puppy gesture.

"For a moment, I thought the Moon Goddess appeared in our home." Dad joked. Harvey nodded a polite bow, wry smile in place.

Taking my coat from me, Harvey seemed to have decided to put on his most formal and professional front to match his suit.

He helped me into the coat and opened the door for us, "This way please."

Because we would have no idea where our front door was without being told. Hahaha.

Ben had decided to pretend I wasn't there. He held open the car door for us and got in the front with Harvey without a word.

This must be the fanciest fancy dress I've ever been to. Even my betas were acting fancy.

"We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz!" For some reason, I just felt like singing that.

"Sam, please behave." Mum said in the car, "The Lorent's are very traditional wolves. Be on your most polite behaviour. Greet your elders. Eat whatever you can from your plate, but don't lick the plate clean. Don't speak at the table unless spoken to. And do sit nicely, these dresses are dreadfully short."

Dad put his hand on her lap and growled a little in a way that I flared up at once.

"No! Dad, no!" I quickly said, "Okay! Mum! I'll behave - but only if Dad behaves!"

Mum took Dad's hand in hers. Essentially stopping him from moving it at will.

There were some things that only my Mum could do. Like keep my Alpha Dad's wolf under control.

Dad's growl betrayed his frustration, but his expression was stony as usual. He turned to look out of the window. Sorry Dad, not in front of me.

I looked out the other window. Mum took my hand too. So now, she was smiling and holding both our hands, one on either side of her.

It's been a long time since I was alone with my parents. It felt nice, even though we didn't say anything much. Mostly it was Mum who kept remembering things I might do to ruin the evening.

"Don't worry, darling. Sam's grown and you've done a good job as her mother. She won't mess up." Dad said reassuringly after Mum remembered the uptenth thing that I shouldn't do. He looked at me meaningfully. It was a "She better not mess up" kind of look.

I grinned.

"See! She still thinks everything's a game!" Mum sighed, "She's so beautiful tonight, but she's going to go ruin herself by starting a fight or throwing a tantrum in front of her future pack and family."

I flared, "I do not throw tantrums."

Mum raised her brow at my hair.

I looked back out of the window and sulked. It was dark outside and I could see my reflection in the mirror, reminding me that I wasn't myself tonight.

But if I wasn't myself, who was I?

{Boo! Did I scare you?}

Tonight was going to be a long night.