Research & Parkour

--LEONA--

Its been a week now. The twins have slid back into their normal training schedule with the exception of uncle Zeph constantly adding to their regimens.

"Court duties, you must study up on that. You know NOTHING about it?? HOW?"

"You both eat like starving chipmunks, do you have no etiquette? What about basic TABLE MANNERS? Have you NO DIGNITY?"

"You can't shift or summon at will? And its a TOSS UP BETWEEN YOUR FORMS?? That won't do AT ALL."

It's hilarious really, the amount of bullshit they feed uncle Zeph. Since he doesn't quite oversee their training, they just disregard all of what he wants.

They're trolling him if you haven't realized.

They may not have courtly duties down to an art, but they know enough to pass as a young noble, their age will probably excuse any mistakes made. They can eat like the damn KING and QUEEN when they want to, it's honestly not that hard.

When using utensils at dinner, just go from the outermost one and work your way in as the courses come out. How to hold it properly is something you may have to learn, especially if you hold the spoon like a shovel, *cough**cough* Avé *cough* *cough*

"Starving chipmunk" eating is hilarious I love it. It's just faster, and no one here is supposed to be judging us anyway. Plus, uncle Zeph should know since he does it as well.

Dignity my butt.

And does he really think that Manipulators like us DON'T KNOW how to shift or summon at will? He's completely lost his marbles, honestly.

At least the twins are having fun with it. Purposefully messing up little things whilst uncle stares in horror.

Now I on the other hand have been exercising a different skill entirely. The wise ways of Google.

Finding the Heirs' ads and broadcasts were a piece of cake. Some kind stranger, or fanboy, whichever fits your fancy, even created two separate playlists for them. Wonderful.

I watched through the compilations and originals the first day, taking down arbitrary notes. I then combed through each member one at a time over the span of the rest of the week. I mean, there are six of them for crying out loud.

So, anything from interviews to public school records I dissected. Now with the information in hand, I can do what I really meant to.

Make a PowerPoint.

Here comes my crash course on the House of Lycan and their Heirs.

________

Alek made dinner tonight. Uncle Zeph somehow forgot that the three of us were still staying at the estate and gave his entire staff the week off. Uncle flew back to check on Kastor and KC. They somehow both came down with wicked colds and their doctor was on vacation.

Thankfully, there was a vegetable garden out back and some left over cash from the previous grocery run the staff had made. I think they like us to a degree, cuz the money had been left in an envelope with a quick note inside.

"Not sure if you kids are going with

your uncle, so here's the rest of

last weeks food run money."

Tonight it's pasta. The sauce was leftover from last night, but that's fine. Alek does wonders with very few ingredients.

Since we had the whole estate to ourselves, we meandered out of the kitchen to the massive sitting room uncle made up in the East Wing. We plonked ourselves down on the couches and turned on the tv.

In blazing bold letters came the words:

HAND PICK COUNTDOWN: 1 week

What a waste of movie time. Avé growled into her pasta and Alek easily changed the channel. We ended up watching some reruns made from before the Cataclysm and happily watched Wall-E, Lilo and Stitch, and The Lion King before the sun set.

Avé then gathered the dishes for me to wash before brawling with Alek for the shower.

They hit three stalemates before settling on the carpet and glaring at each other in the other room.

"We have more than one shower you weirdos." I yell at them.

"So?" They scream back.

I scoff, grinning as I towel dry the dishes.

Finally done, I wander back out to find them locked in a staring contest. Excellent news for me. I wander around them, just out of eyesight before making a mad dash for the West Wing.

Flying down two corridors I slam the next door shut louder than needed and grin as I hear the twin screeches of betrayal from the foyer.

The telltale rush of footsteps pushes me to throw myself at the banister and springboard off it to grab the low-hanging ceiling beam. Hoisting myself up I ready myself for the jump to the next section when the door is thrown open.

"Traitor!" they call up at me, but I can hear the laughter.

"I made no promises!" I grin back.

Alek, our more leg than torso of a brother makes a beeline for the stairs, knowing he could take them three or four at a time and still make it to the top faster than us.

Avé instead detours to the massive window drapes on the farther side. Risky, but if she makes it to the top, she'd be right at the bedroom door.

I leap.