Forever Luna

Parvenu

noun ~ a person of obscure origin who has gained wealth, influence, or celebrity

POLLUX

I smiled down at the elder man, not even bothered my new fish name. It wasn't the first time someone had double-checked I wasn't Pollock. In fact, I still recall the time a coffee barista wrote it on my latte.

"My wife's name was Flora." Claude piped up.

"Was?"

"Cancer." He shrugged. "Happens to most of us. We are not what we ought to be, lad."

I quirked an eyebrow. "I don't know, you seem in great health to me."

He chuckled. "Your eyes not working, son? My granddaughter says I look like a hunchback."

"A hunchback?" I grinned, bemused. "Are you sure it's my eyes you should check?"

His eyes brightened, and a thoughtful look passed over his face. "You're not from here."

"Is it obvious?"

"Only if someone looks for it." He shrugged. "You find a lot of things when you look for them."

"You sure do." I agreed. "But the surprises are often better."

"You in town long?"

"Just the day. I'm passing through."

"Oh? Where are you going?"

"Arleybay."

"Arleybay?" His eyes narrowed. "Ah, that place has a magnificent lake. Shame about the wildlife."

My head cocked. "Wildlife?"

"Mm, they used to get a lot of wolves around there." He tutted. "They would roam the trees. When I was a boy, we used to go there for the weekend to stay in the lake house. One of my friends, James, he went for a walk and never came back. We think the wolves got him."

"You do?" My curiosity increased. "When was this?"

"You asking my age, boy?" He narrowed his eyes.

"No." I laughed, brushing off his agitation. "I contemplated the possibility of being consumed by wolves as well."

"Nah, they killed them all." He waved me off.

My eyes widened. Killed? They killed the wolves?

"What did they look like?"

"Big. Bear-like." He frowned. "Fucking hounds snatched all the pretty dames, too."

Not just wolves. Werewolves.

Arleybay had a history of werewolves.

I mean, I knew there was something there. The way Clover reacted when... I shook my head, forcing it from my head.

"You be careful, lad," Claude murmured. "Not that safe out there."

"I will be." I promised him. "With a shirt that blue, I think I'll stick out like a sore thumb, though."

He smiled, taken aback by the shirt again. "Yes, it's a wonderful shirt, isn't it? You should buy it."

His thick thumbs fiddled with the price tag, a scoffing hum leaving his mouth.

"What is it?" I wondered.

"My son. He makes the prices so damn ridiculous for a piece of cloth." He shook his head.

"Your son?" I blinked. "Your son is Antoine?"

"Yes." He smirked. "He is in town. I thought I'd find him here... Anyway, when he gets here, I will make him give you it for cheap."