THE BAD GUYS IN: raising princess

Car show

Wolf scoffs, adjusting the tiny jacket on Princess as he carries her in his arms. The little kitten barely understands what's happening, her wide golden eyes blinking up at the flashing lights and towering vehicles around her. The hum of engines, the smell of motor oil, and the excited chatter of car enthusiasts fill the convention hall.

Diane, however, was less than impressed. She sighed, arms crossed, watching as Wolf excitedly checked his pockets for their tickets.

"what you said I should spend more time with princess"

"i Meant something she might like"

"Come on, what's more father-daughter bonding than a car show?"

"Oh, I don't know—maybe something she actually enjoys?"

Diane crosses her arms, unimpressed as she watches Wolf beam like a kid in a candy store.

"She's a baby, Wolf. She doesn't know what a turbocharged V8 is."

"Not yet, but she will." He smirks, bouncing Princess slightly. "This is important knowledge"

Princess lets out a small giggle, reaching for the shiny chrome bumper of a nearby sports car. Wolf grins proudly.

"See? She likes it."

"She likes shiny things, Wolf. That doesn't mean she cares about cars."

Wolf kneels down next to a sleek, candy-red muscle car, holding Princess up so she can touch the hood. The tiny kitten claps her paws together in delight, babbling in her barely coherent toddler speech.

"B-brrrm?"

Wolf gasps dramatically. "Did you hear that? She's trying to say 'vroom!'" He turns to Diane, triumphant.

Diane pinches the bridge of her nose. "That's a stretch."

Wolf, grinning "Nope. She's a natural."

"Couldn't you at least picked age appropriate"

But Wolf wasn't listening. He was already pointing out the sleek curves of a limited-edition muscle car to his tiny daughter, as if she could possibly comprehend its significance.

Princess let out a delighted squeal when he set her down on the driver's seat of a convertible, her tiny feet barely able to reach the edge of the leather upholstery. She tapped at the steering wheel with excitement.

As the day goes on, Wolf enthusiastically explains every car model, horsepower specification, and engine modification to his tiny, barely verbal daughter. Princess mostly responds with happy babbles and occasional squeals whenever she sees something particularly flashy. Diane watches from a distance, shaking her head but unable to stop a small smile from forming.

By the end of the day, Wolf carries a tuckered-out Princess in one arm, her tiny head resting on his shoulder. He turns to Diane with a smug look.

"Told you she'd love it."

Diane Dryly. "Uh-huh. Totally."

Princess sleepily nuzzles into Wolf's jacket, and for once, Diane doesn't argue.

Wolf beamed. "Oh yeah. We're making this a tradition."

Diane just rolled her eyes, already resigned to her fate.

Every year, like clockwork, Wolf would take Princess to the Los Angeles Car Show.

At ten, she still held his paw excitedly, pretending to care about the sleek sports cars and roaring engines.

she had the routine down. Every year, Wolf would hype up the car show for weeks in advance, and every year, she'd go along with it—partly because it made him happy, and partly because, well... it was kind of fun.