Trinkets

Destiny got up at five in the morning, before the whole experience would change. She noticed Devin woke up, so she detoured to the bathroom. Then when she stayed there a few minutes, she went to the changing room.

The clothes would be unlocked to wear for the day. She got dressed and hoped the process would still say similar, it made everything easier. She crept out the door quietly, and yes.

She smiled. "Hello, Dear." She took the meat and his flowers. "Hello, Dear." She took the flowers and meat. "Oh, hello, Darling." She took his meat and his love poem and a check. She continued down the line of her dears and darlings, then curved toward outside.

Juniper was outside and waved at her as she went over to see her daughter. She had on a strange dress today too? It fit her cub form, and it was still on when she changed back to a human.

"Ma ma." She held out her hands and she picked her up. A small amount of time to spend with her daughter before she needed to make breakfast.

Who knew how things would change with Devin insisted everyone would help with meals. Meals were better than cleaning, it would leave her with nothing but cleaning.

Not that she could complain, he had no problem ending people's lives.

"Hi."

Oh. Mattie. "Hello. Is Zoan up?"

"Nah, I popped up because I don't know what to expect. It's kind of exciting, so I wanted to talk to you about it." Mattie came closer. "All I hear is negative things, but I see a small storm of jewelry and gifts and flowers and money for you?"

"Understood." Mattie wanted to see some bright side to it all. "Those are my dears and darlings. They buy the meat they want for the day, just to help me out from doing all the grocery shopping. With that, they also throw me trinkets of their love."

"That is not a trinket." She pointed to one of the necklaces hanging on to the hook on the dress. "What are these too?" She gestured to her own hooks around her dress.

"They help you hang some of the stuff you'll actually keep," Destiny said seriously. "My name is Sweetie. What is yours?"

"Lily." Mattie laughed. "Oh boy, that's trippy." She looked at her dress. "So I guess there might be a positive?"

There were several positives to an unattached woman with a guard. Mattie now 'Lily' will probably have a great time. All she had to do was watch for the bastards, but she also had Zoan now.

It would not take long for her to get dears and darlings too. "You should recognize between the dears and darlings. Naming them will be a real help." She wasn't able to do that before.

"So which is Devin?" Mattie had to ask. "A dear, darling, or bastard?"

Oh. That was an uncomfortable spot. "Did he really kill someone for just your favorite piece of jewelry?" she asked.

Mattie just laughed at her. "Oh, he's exaggerating to make himself look better.

Oh, good. She felt so much relief hearing that.

"That one wasn't my favorite. This one is my favorite." She gestured to the necklace around her neck. "Isn't it cool?"

But? "Did he . . . has he . . . killed?"

"Oh yeah. It's part of his job," Mattie said. "You know, I mean you know like policeman and stuff? Sometimes they have to kill. It's like that. It's not like you are going to undercook something and then 'ar, I'll kill you'. No. He'd still be polite to you if you tried to accidentally poison him or something. Please don't do that though, he's my brother. I care for him."

She just blinked. "I don't plan on killing him? Ever? I don't kill. I don't know anyone he has."

"Oh, I'm sure there are some bastards around here that probably have some kind of bad rap," Mattie told her. "Right? That is why they are bastards."

Um? How should she answer that? "Bastards are people I do not trust. They have lied to me, or I have a gut feeling they will lie to me. They have unsavory backgrounds or are poor." She noticed Mattie just looked at her. "I don't get to know everyone, in a group of 200, the people who help me out the most, who are the most polite, who mind their manners, are considered dears. The ones I have considered marriage to, to leave this place are the darlings."

"How come you never did it?" Mattie asked. "Come on, Sweetie. Tell me. With your daughter stuck out here and nameless? A boy named Wolfie? Cleaning and cooking for a couple hundred guys? Even pregnant again."

"That's a fair question," she admitted. "I knew that forgetful dust was used on Devin. My family was his family. I have thought on occassion to pick someone, but I thought it would end up in a fight. Knowing how aggressive a wolf could be, it might end a chosen husband's life. So, I didn't choose him."

"Oh, but you have someone you were ready to marry?" Mattie said excitedly. "No way. Who?"

"Well, he isn't rich," she admitted as she put her daughter down. "He's been there since the beginning. He's watched over me in every way he could. He watched over the children, and is the guardian angel of my daughter."

Mattie looked outward toward Juniper, who was looking away.

"Unfortunately, my paranoia matches his. He believes Devin will kill him for it," she said, "and he just might. He does kill."

Mattie was just gawking at Juniper. "Oh, you called him Juniper, while you called everyone else just dear or darling. A name. Oh." Mattie made an uncomfortable seething sound, like she just cut herself accidentally. "Um. You might not want to tell Devin that on the first day. You do know that Juniper was the reason we are even here in the first place?"

"Yes." He was money hungry and he wanted a hit show. It was selfish, but she could see why, and over the years, why not? He was the only one who watched for her daughter and the boy. She knew him, the others didn't. "He's watched over me and protected my daughter," she reasoned. "That? Is way more than I can say for . . ." Kindness. Show the bastard kindness. "Your brother." Kindness. She would have to give him a nametag today, it was generally polite to name one's guard on the shows.

"Yeah. Devin's a bastard to you," Mattie said out loud. "The first time was his screw up, he didn't study up on you at all. The second time, was Juniper's screwup that led to this. Devin won't let you down again."

Once. Twice. She should believe in him again? Trust him again? Destiny was not a fool. "I am sweet and fair to everyone that I can be."

"We can't get her out, or Wolfie." Mattied pointed to her little girl. "Not yet. We have to stay for . . . a saving our world kind of thing. It's real important. Millions of lives could be on the line if we yank you out or mess up. My brother will do what he can for you. I know he's let you down before, but he won't fall off guard again. He's literally your guard."

Too much chit chat. "I need to start breakfast and get things going." She smiled at her daughter. "I'll see you after breakfast for a few minutes, okay?"