[chapter_10]
When she was younger, Bella never thought she would live anywhere else than the home she grew up in. She couldn't imagine home not being home. Why would she leave, why would she move, why would she live somewhere else? It had been a childish thought, one inspired by her confusion - and lingering hurt - over her mother leaving, and never coming back. Renee might have left home, but Bella never would.
And then, Charlie Swan fell in love with Sue Clearwater, and suddenly the home Bella grew up in became something smaller, cramped, too crowded. Her home became a house with buckling floors and drafty rooms and three kids squeezed into one bedroom, weekend after weekend. And Bella learned at a relatively young age that a house is not necessarily a home. A house is just a house, something that can be easily exchanged, easily upgraded for something better, for something bigger, for something that represents a future.
By the time Bella and Leah left for Stanford, they'd both learned the lesson - home is what you make of it. Home can be a house, or home can be people. Home can be a place to sleep, a shelter from the world, or it can be a place that represents safety. Home is something that simply is.
So as she looks up at the still-new house Charlie and Sue bought to celebrate their marriage, the house where Bella only lived for four years as a teenager, she is struck by the dueling feelings of home and not-home. This is not the house she grew up in, but it is the house where her family lives, and that means it is home. But it's also not her current home - no, that is back in California, the near-empty dorm waiting for her return in four weeks. She knows, as she has learned, that her home is something that will continue to change - she will find it in people and she will find it in places.
Now, though, she is home in a way. It might be a different house than the one she grew up in, but it's still the same sleepy, rain-soaked hometown. She can't help but smile nostalgically at the grey blanketing the sky, the misty drizzle breezing through the hair. She hasn't missed the rain, exactly, but sometimes the constant California sunshine is disarming. This is familiar, comforting.
The new house is much the same as it was six - seven? - years ago after the ill-advised home renovation project she volunteered herself for. The outer wood paneling is a little weather-beaten, the supple smoky gray faded by rain, the bottom of the white door splashed with mud. Sue has put two new potted plants, some sort of flowering fern, on either side of the door. The doormat is new, she thinks, and the porch is clear except for the muddy soccer ball Seth has left rolling around. From outside, she can see the warm light of the house shining from the kitchen, the living room, and one of the upstairs rooms. Behind the house, the apple tree has grown bigger, now within clear view from the front yard, and she imagines that Sue's garden is equally as thriving, even in this challenging climate. Both Sue's car and the cruiser are absent from the driveway, but the evidence of Sue's car is still leaking oil, probably that stubborn loose gasket again.
I'll have to fix that, Bella thinks. Dad's probably too swamped at work….
Jake, ever helpful when he isn't gabbing, gracelessly unloads Bella and Leah's luggage from the boot of his little Volkswagen. She barely withholds a flinch at his careless handling, both glad that she had thought to take her cactus out and that she had taken great pains to wrap her computer - and Leah's camera equipment - in soft foam between clothes. Jake, looking quite pleased with himself, dusts his hands off and says, "Later, losers! You're your brother's problem now!"
Leah kicks the nearest tire in retaliation and Bella smiles.
"Later, Jake."
"Sure, sure!"
The girls pull their suitcases - carefully - onto the porch, Leah muttering vague threats to Jake's retreating car about what she'll do to him if any of her equipment is damaged. She'll probably follow up on the threats, too, so for Jacob Black's sake Bella sincerely hopes she did a good job packing the technology.
Bella goes to open the door, but finds it locked. She wrinkles her nose, trying the handle again, and then sighs. "It's locked," she announces. "Do we have keys?"
"I don't have any keys," Leah says.
"Well, neither do I."
Leah rolls her eyes. "Mom always has a key somewhere on the porch. Probably under one of these plants, or something."
Bella shakes her head. "And Dad always says that keeping keys on the porch is just inviting intruders," she counters. "If there are any keys out here, then they're probably in a weird place."
"You sound real confident, sis," Leah says casually.
"Reasonably confident, yeah."
Leah smiles sharply. "Want to see which one of us is right?"
"I don't bet with you, Leah." Bella had learned that lesson the hard way.
"I bet I can find where Mom hid the key, and if I can't then I promise not to say anything about your little marriage for the whole break," Leah wagers.
Admittedly, it is a tempting bet. After having just suffered the mortification of Leah opening her big mouth to Jake, she doesn't want to sit through another explanation about how her in-game alliance with Master Culler isn't a thing that people need to be getting worked up over.
"You're on. Pinky swear."
They lock pinkies, press their thumbs together, and then separate. Bella steps back off the porch, leaving room for Leah to search for any places a key might be hidden - under the potted plants, under the door mat, above the door, on the porch light, under a window sill, and so on. Leah becomes visibly more perplexed as each new and increasingly unlikely spot she searches ends with no reward. Truthfully, Bella can't believe Leah is being so close-minded about the search. Knowing their parents, Bella would assume any hidden key would not be on the porch.
Her eyes trail over the bushes in front of the porch and the collection of ceramic garden animals tucked between them - no gnomes, thank God, but plenty of turtles, birds, frogs, and sleeping does. Bella arches a brow and stretches her foot forward, tipping one of the smaller turtles up just enough to see beneath it. She does the same for all the ceramic animals and finally, beneath the slumbering white-spotted doe, she sees the gleaming metal of the spare house key.
Bella bites the inside of her cheeks to hide her smile, then steps back from the ceramic doe. She doesn't breathe a word about finding the key, and lets Leah continue searching until Leah declares defeat.
"Fine. You win. I'll keep my mouth shut!"
"Thanks, sis!" Bella says with a smile. She doesn't even feel bad about it. Bella really wants to avoid talking to her dad about an in-game marriage with a virtual stranger. She can just imagine the conniption he'd throw, followed by the terrifying statistics about what happens when pretty young girls meet strange people online. No, thank you.
When Leah resorts to banging on the door, shouting for Seth to open up because he's supposed to be home to meet them, Bella pulls out her phone to call him. A minute later, the sound of feet thudding on the stairs and tripping through the foyer can be heard, followed by Seth unlocking the door and hastily pulling it open.
"Hey! You're here! You're both here! So early! Hi, hello, my sisters!" he greets, a little taller than when they saw him last and a lot more nervous-looking. He's a bit wide around the eyes, a little mussed overall.
Suspicious. Bella and Leah share a look, a silent agreement that their brother is up to something. Ah, well, they wouldn't be sisters if they didn't do their duty to find out why Seth looks so harassed for seemingly no reason.
"What were you doing, watching porn?" Leah demands, shouldering into the house, the suitcases rolling behind her. Bella follows along with their carry-on and her cactus, closing the door behind her.
Seth's face flames up. "No!" he spits defensively. "Who would watch porn in the middle of the day?"
Bella sucks her teeth, a twinge of amusement in her voice. "Little brother, that's probably not the best defense, just for future reference."
Seth's face, if possible, becomes redder. Bella doesn't know where he gets his propensity for blushing from, unless he absorbed it from her despite not being blood relatives. Neither Leah or Sue can summon a blush, although she has seen Leah get red in the face from shouting too much. Seth, on the other hand, blushes as easily as the Swans, even under all that lovely bronze skin.
"I'm just - just glad you're home!" he declares. "It's nice to have you back!"
Leah squints her eyes, skeptical as she stares at her fidgeting brother. "Uh-huh." Leah clucks her tongue. "Why are you so happy to see us, Seth? Did you do something stupid?"
"No!" Seth blusters. "I can't miss my sisters?"
Bella lifts her brows and stares, cactus hugged to her chest after she puts the carry-on on the stair steps. Her eyes trail to Leah, who is gazing at Seth with a hard sort of assessment - it's a probing stare that has scared more than one confession out of Seth in the past. Bella suspects it will work again now.
"You can miss us," Leah says after a beat. "But this is just suspicious."
"Why are you so paranoid?" Seth demands, strangely and obvious defensive.
Bella tilts her head, hearing straining upstairs. Is that a rattling she hears? A scratching? A…whimper? No. Surely not. Seth probably just left his computer on. He probably was watching porn. Not that there's anything wrong with that, provided all the participants are consenting and properly compensated.
The scratching sound persists and Bella side-eyes her brother and his harassed posture.
Leah, now irritated by the evasive tactics, draws her shoulders up. "Why are you so weird? What are you hiding? And don't say nothing, because you're squirrely-ass behavior is extremely-"
The sound is quiet, a small meep or maybe a yip, but it is unmistakable nonetheless, and Bella opens her mouth without hesitation. "Why do I hear barking?" she asks, eyes wide and both brows arched high.
Because surely she isn't hearing what she thinks she's hearing. Because the house - Charlie Swan, mostly - has rules, and anything that barks is not part of those rules. And yet.
Seth rears back, pales. "Shit, you can hear that?"
Bella and Leah both stare at him in flat disbelief. "Are you hiding a dog here?" she asks, even though she already knows the answer. She has functioning ears, after all.
"I'm not…hiding it," Seth hedges. He's clearly grasping at straws when he adds, "I'm sheltering it! Until I can find its owner!"
"Amazing," Bella says dryly. Seth has only been on summer break for maybe a week, and he's already found a way to break one of the biggest house rules. Bella thinks this might be a record.
"Well, let's see this mutt," Leah says briskly, already marching up the stairs.
Seth fairly trips over himself to follow her, taking the steps two at a time. "He's not a mutt!"
Bella follows sedately, curious but not as ramped up as her siblings. Her cactus is still in her arms when she trails her siblings to Seth's room, which is dark from the closed curtains and his general refusal to use a lamp. The room has the same slightly musty smell all rooms belonging to teenage boys has, and it's probably only by the grace of Sue's childrearing that the room is mostly clean.
"Sure he isn't," Leah scoffs. She looks around the darkened bedroom, listens for the whimpering little whine of a bark, and zeros in on the closet.
"He's not!" Seth argues, even as Leah slides the closet door open. "He's a beautiful, good boy and he-"
He is a skinny, wiggly, muddy thing of a creature, with short black hair and warm brown markings around his muzzle, eyes, and paws - and he's also been chewing on a pair of slippers belonging to a certain police chief, which probably isn't the best thing. The dog is cute, though, especially when it yaps and runs right into Seth's shins excitedly. Less cute is the mud the spreads all over the wooden floors and the thin rug in the room.
Leah whistles lowly. "Wow. You're so dead."
"I know," Seth wails. He crouches down to pet the dog on the head, scruffing behind pointed, triangular ears. "But look at this face? How could I not help him?"
Bella sighs, surveying the damage. The slippers are not salvageable, but everything else is easy enough to fix. "Calm down," she says. "It's just shoes and a little mud."
Leah pats Seth on the back consolingly. "See, look. Bella isn't freaking out, so you shouldn't be either."
"Bella never freaks out about anything," Seth says mulishly, still petting the dog. "She isn't normal."
"Thanks, Seth," Bella deadpans.
"Ah! Shit! I mean, it's a good thing!" Seth hurries to say. "Me and Pistachio are super grateful that you're so weird!"
Bella blinks. "Pistachio?"
"The dog," Seth says. "I named him Pistachio."
Leah makes a face. "Why?"
Seth frowns at them with innocent befuddlement. "I like Pistachios."
Well, there isn't much that can be said about that, is there? Bella has no words and Leah seems to be of the same mind, because she shakes her head and kneels on the floor, stretching her hand out to the dog. None of them have ever had pets outside of goldfish and feral cats that stayed firmly outside the house, so a dog is a foreign sort of challenge. Seth, though, has always wanted a dog - it had been on all of his Christmas lists for as long as she can remember, but Sue Clearwater has an allergy to pet dander and that was the end of that. Until now, that is. Maybe, if the parents can be convinced, and if Sue isn't incredibly allergic to Pistachio's short hair.
Bella is a little mystified. A dog was the last thing she expected when she came home. The surprise isn't wholly unwelcome, though.
"So, what is he?" she asks, also getting down on the dog's level. His wet nose presses against the top of her hand, thin tail whapping Seth's knee.
"Doberman," Seth says confidently.
Leah looks at Pistachio skeptically. "Aren't they supposed to be, you know, bigger?"
"He'll grow! He's just small now, that's all."
"Could be a Dachshund?"
"Aren't those the hot-dog looking ones?"
"Yeah, but this one is small and so are those."
"I don't think that's how that works."
"Well, it's definitely not a Greyhound. Too shrimpy."
"No, probably not."
"Chihuahua?"
"I don't think so. The eyes aren't buggish enough."
"But the ears are kind of right!"
It takes a ten minute Google search and a fifteen minute argument - while they bathe Pistachio in the upstairs bathroom with Axe bodywash, much to the dog's apparent enjoyment - for them to reach the agreement that Seth is the proud new temporary-owner of a miniature Pinscher.
There are worse things to come home to, Bella reflects, cuddling the dog close while Seth quickly cleans his room and Leah bangs around in the kitchen searching for something to feed the dog.
Pistachio licks the underside of her chin, as if agreeing.
[Instagram]
(A double picture post, both pictures set in Mayfair filter. The focal point of both pictures seems to be a sweet looking Min Pin with a glossy black-and-brown coat and amber eyes.
The first picture features three young people, two girls and one boy. The girl on the left is freckled, fair skinned and dark haired, her green eyes equally as bright as her mid-laugh smile. The girl on the right has a warm bronze complexion, finely shaped brows and wild purple hair, her dark eyes scrunched with the smile of her generous mouth. Between them is a slightly younger boy who longish black hair, his high cheekbones visible even through the softness of his herks. The boy has the dog in his arms, who is looking at the camera with a pink tongue lolling out. The boy is grinning wide enough that his eyes close.
The second picture is of an older couple, each of them in uniform. The man has warm green-brown eyes, a heavy wrinkle between his brows, and a thick, dark mustache. He wears a black police uniform, pinned with brass, and an awkward expression aimed toward-but-not-quite at the camera. The woman is a striking, if aged beauty, with gently lined features on a rich bronze complexion, kind almond eyes, and black hair only-just streaked with silver at the peak of her hairline. Her scrubs are mauve, a happy teddy bear over the chest pocket. She is holding the dog, who is licking her cheek, and smiling fondly at someone off-camera.)
Posted 1 hour ago
clearly_filiming_this Welcome to the family Pistachio, may your life be better than the ridiculous name Seth gave you
#familydog #dogaunt #notmyfault
Comments
aliceseesyou What a cute dog!
byanyothername It's been 1 day and already the shenanigans have started I'm so proud
jbisnowhere Congrats seth, your dream came true
Bromeo Cute dog, cuter girls, foxy lady~~
mathmagician Hey maestro, check this out
"I swear, I'll do all the chores, and I'll take him out, and I'll give him all the baths," Seth bargains, hands clasped together as he alternates pleading looks between their parents. "Please, please, please let me keep Pistachio."
Charlie Swan and Sue Clearwater-Swan look at each other with that remarkable silent communication they have always had. Sniffing at their ankles is Pistachio, completely oblivious that his future is being decided. Sitting on the stairs, Bella and Leah watch everything unfold, Bella slumped over just enough to rest her chin on Leah's bony shoulder.
Charlie Swan has never been a particularly large man, although his solid, compact build had seem gargantuan when Bella was much younger. He is still trim and fit for duty, but age has begun to weather his skin, grizzling him around the jaw. His serious dark hazel eyes are shadowed by the stress of work, a heavy wrinkle between his brows from a lifetime of deep frowning. He evokes in Bella a sense of safety and dependability, a sort of unshakeable, quiet resolution. He is a pillar, a foundation stone. Sue Clearwater-Swan is his perfect counterpoint, in Bella's humble opinion. Sue had been - and still is - a great beauty, with long, straight black hair, supple bronze skin, and the kind of bone structure that belongs on a statue. Her eyes are a lighter shade of brown than either of her children, but both Leah and Seth share her generous mouth and the fine, straight angle of her nose. Sue is what Bella considers the epitome of womanhood and motherhood, a pillar just as steady as her husband, but one that is tempered by an unfathomable well of gentleness and kindness. Together, they had been the stability that kept Bella humbled, that helped her bloom into herself with a quiet confidence. She seeks to become everything they already are.
So she isn't the least bit surprised when Sue smiles with great fondness, strokes her son's cheek, and says, "I suppose I'll just have to be more diligent with my allergy medication."
Charlie claps Seth on the shoulder and says, "Take care of him, keep your grades up, and don't let him eat my shoes."
She muffles her amusement when Seth haltingly explains that Pistachio had already, in fact, bitten away the toes of at least one slipper, and Charlie promptly says, "Well, they were ugly anyway, son. The dog can keep 'em."
"They always go too easy on him," Leah complains.
But Bella disagrees. They have good parents and they're objectively good kids, even with the occasional mischief. She figures their parents are letting Seth keep the dog to keep him out of trouble for the summer more than anything else, which isn't a bad plan considering what Seth can get himself into when left unsupervised. Having an outlet for his energy will probably help keep the chaos at bay.
With the dog thing settled, there is a round of warm hugs, kissed cheeks, and awkward - from Charlie - pats on the back and ruffled hair. Bella basks in the scent of pine cologne and jasmine perfume, and welcomes the way Sue fusses over them even as she bustles through the kitchen to heat up a hearty fish stew and soft, buttery cheese biscuits.
"Oh, look at you girls," Sue frets as she stirs the fragrant pot. "Are you eating enough?
"We eat plenty, Mom," Bella assures her. She and Leah move around each other in perfect synch to set the table with bowls and spoons, while Seth commandeers one corner of the kitchen to pour cranberry juice for everyone.
Leah snorts. "Yeah, you should see how much Bella can pack away. Two whole plates of extra spicy hot wings in one sitting."
Bella pokes out her tongue, but doesn't deny it. Her appetite can be voracious sometimes. It had been - and will likely continue to be - a joke that Bella is easily led by her stomach. She sees no reason to be defensive about enjoying her food.
Still, Sue clucks her tongue in disagreement. "You're both thinner," she insists. "You should eat more. Studying burns a lot of energy, did you know? Are you eating enough walnuts? You know how important balanced nutrition -"
"They're fine, Sue," Charlie soothes when he ambles back into the room. His holster and gun are missing, already put into the safe in the front closet, and he has switched his heavy boots for thick knit slippers Pistachio seems to have no interest in.
"I just worry," Sue says.
Charlie smiles warmly, and Sue smiles back. They look very much in love, as they always have for as long as Bella can remember.
She is so happy to be home. She didn't know how much she missed it, probably fooled into forgetting homesickness with Leah constantly by her side. She wonders how miserable she might be if she and Leah went to different colleges. A lot, probably.
They eat and catch up on things that bi-weekly phone calls and sporadic texts can't cover. Sue has finally been promoted to Head Nurse in the pediatric ward at Forks General; Charlie finished training a deputy and then caught him doing unmentionable things in the break room with Eric Yorkie, a journalist for the local paper who went to high school with Bella and Leah; Seth has, somehow, managed to fail art and has to attend summer school to make up the credits.
Charlie asks about their grades, then awkwardly inquires if they have any special somebodies he should know about, to which Bella kicks Leah under the table and then answers no, we don't, dad. Charlie looks incredibly relieved. It's probably a father's worst nightmare to have two daughters dating at the same time, especially if they're dating hundreds of miles away. Charlie probably won't ever have to worry about that for Leah, and Bella can't imagine changing her status any time soon.
Sue asks if they have any plans for the summer, and then smiles when Leah loudly announces she plans to spend every minute she can at the res because Rose can't think she's the only one with a beach and because I've missed those idiots and someone needs to keep them in line. When it's Bella's turn, she mentions the apparent oil leak in Sue's engine and offers to fix it, and then insists when Sue tries to refuse.
And then Sue, apparently seeing that Bella's penchant for keeping busy hasn't abated since Christmas, mentions that Nurse Weber's son is also in summer school and could probably use some additional tutoring, and would Bella be willing to take the job? Bella, of course, accepts the offer because could stand to make some extra cash.
It is, all in all, a good start to her summer break. She goes to sleep that night in her childhood bed, stomach satisfactorily filled by Sue's turtle brownies and immensely comforted to be back home.
She wonders, just for a moment, just when she's on the edge of sleep, if Masen Cullen really did wink at her -
But no. It was probably the sun in his eyes, or something. It was nothing more than pure luck to see him in person, so close, before she left. She'll probably never see him again, and will have to settle for admiring him from afar and following his career as it progresses.
It's enough, for her. She shouldn't think about it anymore.
Dawn of Warcraft - Contests - 2020 Video Contest
2020 Video Contest
Posted 6.1.2020
Hey, gamers! It's time for our annual video contest! In the past, we have had plot requirements for the storylines of all videos, but this year the rule is changing!
We want your creativity! Shock us with epic battles and move us to tears with drama. Try your hand at a gut-busting comedy, or make a parody of your favorite movie!
We are accepting all entries that comply with community standards. Register for the contest and submit your video with the form below. Public voting will begin June 20, 2020.
Read more…
It is with great relish that Bella, sitting primly on her bed with a wooden bed-table holding her laptop over her crossed legs, logs into the game. There is something wistful about it, a sense of comfort and nostalgia. This bedroom was where she first discovered her love for gaming, where she first crafted her talent, and where she created Swansong. It feels right to be playing here, again.
Her family have already gone their separate ways - Charlie and Sue off to work, Seth at summer school, and Leah lazing the day away in front of the TV. She's alone in her bedroom, another room that she shares with Leah. Unlike their dorm room, this bedroom has a massive pine L-shaped bunkbed crowding one corner, the top bunk on one wall and the bottom bunk on the other, with a matching desk sitting under the window facing the forest. Bella, having the bottom bunk, has a small shelf near her bed that holds a candle, a bottle of water, her cellphone, and her laptop when not in use. There are glow-in-the-dark stars stuck to the wall behind her and a poster for Dawn of Warcraft, both of which match the sooty star-specked duvet and the cartoonish RAM-shaped plushie in her lap. The walls in this room, like the rest of the house, are some shade of purple - nightingale, she thinks the paint was called.
Damp hair woven into a side-plait, wearing a short pin-striped romper and a perfectly soft cotton sweater, Bella wiggles her bare toes in excitement as the game loads. How many days, how many hours, has it been since she last logged on? It's a necessity to survive finals, of course, but she hasn't had any decent game play for at least a week. Even her daily quests have suffered.
Bella eagerly moves Swansong into action as soon as the game finishes loading. She has a couple of pending quests she can complete, or side quests to fully develop some of her supplemental skills - it would be nice to be able to make her own equipment, like Master Culler, although that would involve learning higher skills for mining and blacksmithing. She has the time, though, for the next four weeks to do exactly that. Not quite sure which quests she wants to take, Bella opts to complete her daily quest, which is to gather a rare poppy from a hidden glen. It's the ideal type of mindless task that lets her relax into playing, her mind drifting contentedly.
This is the first of four Mondays without any classes, she thinks happily. She can't think of a better way to spend her time, not today at least. Plenty of plans have already been made with her hometown friends, and she will be tutoring that Weber boy, but for the most part Bella is intent on gaming, gaming, gaming. Maybe she'll even add a second Twitch stream for a while? That would be fun, too.
Idly, she wonders what Master Culler's plans are. He hadn't indicated they would be stopping their training schedule for the summer, so she supposes he has a flexible schedule like her - which is a good thing, of course, because the inter-server competition starts in just under two weeks. She's excited about that, too.
Swansong finishes her daily quest, stores the rare poppy in her inventory, and then accepts the terms for one of the side quests. Wouldn't it be cool to have her own equipment for the tournament? She doubts she'll advance quick enough to produce anything of quality, but she can try.
But before Bella can navigate to the blacksmithing village, a private message pops up on her screen. Her eyes scan the rapid messages from Janeway and she frowns. This doesn't seem like the usual gossip. Actually, Janeway seems uncharacteristically hesitant, which is alarming for many reasons.
Janeway is shameless. She doesn't have the capacity for hesitancy. So, what is it that has Janeway…like this?
《 Janeway: okay so I have something to tell you
《 Janeway: or show you actually
《 Janeway: and I think you might be pissed about it
《 Janeway: so
》Swansong: are you okay?
》Swansong: you seem not very you
《 Janeway: who me? Yeah I'm fine
《 Janeway: you're the one that might not be fine tbh
》Swansong: I'll be fine
》Swansong: show me whatever it is
《 Janeway: are you sure?
《 Janeway: last chance to back out
》Swansong: it's okay, just show me
Janeway's next message is a hyperlink, followed by dead silence, like the virtual equivalent of handing someone a letter and walking off. Bella follows the link, which takes her to a Dawn of Warcraft forum hosting video entries for the 2020 Video Contest. The video in particular is one that is submitted by Queen V - and as Bella watches it, she has the thought that Jane didn't hand her a letter, she handed her a bomb.
The video, like all the other entries, is a recorded screen-grab of choreographed game interactions, just like a play, with voice recordings and music in the background. The content of the video, on the other hand, is probably not like any other entry. It is a pointed barb at Swansong, a mean-spirited, rumor-milled caricature about drama that does not actually exist.
In the video, Relentless and Queen V are fighting a lesser beast in a forest along with two of Queen V's friends, Ringlet and Cherry Lane. Relentless uses his golden bow to take down the beast, while Queen V uses her healing abilities to keep Relentless safe, staying a sizeable distance away until the danger passes, along with her two friends who do not much of anything. When the beast is defeated, Relentless and Queen V reunite, and spend several minutes extoling their deep love and admiration for each other. And then, quite out of the blue, a character in red stomps into view, her outfit and styling very familiar. The character is called Swonsong - a single letter of difference, meaning the parody is unmistakable.
Swonsong behaves like a child, whining and throwing herself on the forest floor. The voice narrating her lines is deep like a man's, a clear nod to all the rumors about Swansong being played by a man in real life. Swonsong cries about how much she (he) loves Relentless, how much she (he) wants Relentless back, how jealous she (he) is of Queen V, and how betrayed she (he) is that Relentless would love someone else.
"What did I do? Why am I not good enough?" Swongsong asks, right before she (he) trips over Cherry Lane's foot, bashes her (his) head onto a convenient rock, and dies.
Queen V, in a syrup-sweet voice, says to Relentless, "I'm so sorry you had to suffer with that."
And Relentless says, "Now that I have you, I never have to suffer again."
They walk off and leave Swonsong's corpse right by the dead beast, another unmistakable message. The video ends with a message to urge voting, and then that's the end of it.
A rather uncharitable part of Bella notes the amateurish video editing. Leah could do so much better, she thinks clinically. But a much larger part of her is deeply insulted by the video, and it is that part of her that has her squeezing the plushie against her stomach, a burn in the back of her eyes. The video is stark and unapologetic bullying. She might as well be getting a public swirly - that's how humiliating it is.
But beyond the humiliation - beyond the hurt of the video - is a bubbling, churning fury within the usually calm still-waters of her mind. She feels a rather indignant, righteous anger building between her ribs.
Cherry Lane she can understand being involved, since Cherry Lane was so angry about what happened to Hive, even if Hive was fine with it. Cherry Lane is exactly the sort of rabid snake who would engineer something like this. The fact that Queen V posted it is also less than shocking, since she and Cherry Lane evidently run in the same circle - birds of a feather and all that. She can accept all of that and write the whole thing off as something mean that came from mean girls. Its hurtful and humiliating, yes, but it's the exact kind of catty nonsense that girls like to attack each other with - and Bella, who has been dealing with jealous, catty girls her whole life, is somewhat inured to it.
The anger and the majority of the hurt comes from the fact that Relentless participated in this - and painted himself to be put-off by the fake Swansong's interest in him, as if he wasn't the one asking her for personal information for months. Whatever came of their alliance, Bella never thought Relentless would do something like this. It's beyond the pale and completely out of step with what she knows about his personality. How does this jive with his cutting need for success, unless he is willing to sacrifice Swansong to get what he wants - whatever that is?
Bella thought they were friends. She wouldn't do this to a friend - and that is what hurts the most.
Bella doesn't even bother to log out of the game. She snaps the lid of her laptop closed, scoots away from her computer, and curls onto her side with her heart hammering harshly in her chest. She'll have to message Janeway later, apologize for being so abrupt.
But for right now, Bella does exactly what she wants to curb to hurt and anger.
She pouts - and absolutely does not cry, not even the smallest tear, not even if her pillowcase says differently.
L Clearwater ʘClearlyFlimingThis
First Beach be like WHOA #myocean #firstbeach #seemysea
(Picture Attachment:
A panoramic view of First Beach in La Push, the pebbly beach, driftwood stacks, and choppy ocean-blue water lapping at shore.)
Rose Hale ʘbyanyothername
I see your beach and raise you mine #myocean #seemysea #santamonica
(Picture Attachment:
A panoramic view of sandy beach in Santa Monica, the golden sand, the cloudless sky, and the gentle aqua-blue water dotted with surfers on the crests of waves.)
Alice Bee ʘaliceseesyou
Oh wow! I'm so jealous!
L Clearwater ʘClearlyFlimingThis
Are you trying to fight me ʘbyanyothername
Rose Hale ʘbyanyothername
My beach is better than yours ʘClearlyFlimingThis
L Clearwater ʘClearlyFlimingThis
It's on ʘbyanyothername #trythisbeach
Bella Swan ʘthelittlecygnet
Okay, enough, you're both pretty
Bella's hurt feelings don't last for long - she isn't the type to linger, after all, because negative emotions take too much energy. She has no interest in holding a grudge, and she doesn't want to be sad. Her still waters don't hold for that kind of turbulence. But that doesn't mean that she's just going to take the insult laying down - she is her father's daughter, and Charlie Swan believes in justice.
So, sometime during the night when the seething had cooled to a veneer of ice, Bella had hatched a plan. The idea itself is one born from the high road. She won't be so petty as to meet them tic-for-tac, because that's a waste of effort. No, if Bella is going to get even, she's going to do it thoroughly.
And what better way than to get the justice she deserves for the new tarnish on her reputation than by winning that ridiculous video conference? She won't win by retaliating with a mean-spirited video, either. She'll win by crafting something so objectively amazing that her sheer excellence will put Cherry Lane, Relentless, and Queen V to shame.
Is this a lesson she has gleaned from Master Culler? Perhaps. But the point still stands - when they go low, the best thing to do is go high. And Bella, who doesn't dwell in asinine concepts like revenge, is dead-set on keeping her moral high ground.
And she'll win with it, too.
Bella logs on for her regularly scheduled meet up with Master Culler and his unofficial guild, meet them right beside River Town near the center of the game map. Swansong is the last to arrive, and when she does she is immediately met with a barrage of messages. She smiles easily as she reads them, a part of her releasing all tension.
《 Pestulent: swansong!
《 Pestulent: we saw the video and it's really shitty!
《 Pestulent: poor quality and bad acting and we're already plotting
《 Pythagoras: we'll avenge you
《 Pythagoras: they went way too far for a contest
《 Hermit: they're a bunch of cunts
《 Pestulent: hey hey language around the lady
《 Hermit: I can say it because I'm English you knob
《 Pestulent: you're the knob you noob
Bella giggles. She doesn't even know these guys - they've only played together a few times, really - but they're so protective of her. She believes that they're honestly perturbed by the video, maybe even as offended as Bella was. It reminds her of the way Seth can be like a rabid dog when he feels like Leah or Bella have been slighted, or the way the boys in La Push banded against Mike Newton that one summer he was following her everywhere.
She's been lucky in life to find protectors, even when she didn't ask to be protected. It seems like she's found more in the crew that Master Culler plays with.
《 Master Culler: enough
《 Master Culler: we don't need to talk about it if it makes Swansong uncomfortable
》Swansong: I'm not uncomfortable
Bella gathers herself. Her plan relies on cooperation from these players. She's reasonably certain that Pestulent, Pythagoras, and even the taciturn Hermit will be willing to help her, but she isn't sure about Master Culler. He's a master player who isn't known for dallying his time with random contests - but he did also go through the trouble of setting Hive straight. She can't predict him, and that means she needs to draw on her courage.
》Swansong: actually I want to talk about it
》Swansong: I have an idea
Bella relays her idea as clearly and succinctly as possible. She's read through the contest requirements and understands that the primary goal of the contest is to create a new storyline that can be adapted into game play, probably something that can be used for a quest. Bella, of course, has several ideas given that she wants to design games. She thinks she has one that can work, but the scale is so large that it will take time - so she knows exactly what she's asking these players.
》Swansong: it's a big commitment so I understand if you don't have the time
《 Pythagoras: for this I have nothing but time
《 Hermit: I'm free
《 Pestulent: you know Swansong, your actually kind of devious
《 Pestulent: your gonna kill them with kindness AND take their prize
《 Pestulent: I'm SO into this idea
The only one left is Master Culler. Bella curbs her expectations. He's been vague, but she's gathered that he has a busy schedule, which is why they have to schedule training. If he doesn't have the time, then she can understand it.
So she is surprised when, seemingly without any hesitation, Master Culler agrees to her plan. He even goes so far as to say that he likes her plan, which has Bella blinking in delayed surprise. She doesn't know why she finds it so shocking, really - Master Culler is turning out to be kind, in his own way.
They spend some minutes chatting about plans for their video contest entry. Bella will be in charge of writing the script, on top of Swansong having the biggest role; the others, with the exception of Master Culler, will be playing supporting characters with their main and sub accounts. They pick and day and time to do the bulk of recording next week and Bella says that she will ask her sister to help with the video editing. Master Culler insists that Swansong be the one to submit the video, and then that is that, and they move on to their usual training.
It's only after an instance dungeon and duels with each other that Master Culler sends her a private message.
《 Master Culler: are you really okay?
》Swansong: can I be honest?
《 Master Culler: of course
》Swansong: okay well…my feelings were hurt
》Swansong: that video was very mean
》Swansong: I can't even comprehend being that awful on purpose
》Swansong: but that was yesterday and I've moved on
《 Master Culler: you're no longer hurt by it?
《 Master Culler: not angry or sad?
Bella marvels at his effort to clarify. This is new from Master Culler. She supposes that they've grown familiar enough with each other that this level of concern is friendly - but from Master Culler, it feels weighty and important and momentous. She can't help but allow her truest thoughts to the fore.
》Swansong: the best revenge is to live well, right?
《 Master Culler: you're very wise, Swansong
《 Master Culler: I'm relieved you aren't upset
Bella doesn't know how to reply to that, but she does smile at her laptop screen, feeling warm. Master Culler cares about her feelings. She's touched, deeply, that her emotional state matters to him. She's sure that he wants to know for the sake of the tournament, because gamers play best when they have clear minds, but still - the fact that he made the concerted effort to specifically ask is amazing to her.
Master Culler cares about her feelings - and it's all Bella can do to bask in the knowledge with a bloom of warmth spreading from her chest.
A/N: Ah, feels are happening! Kind of! It's progress at least! I wonder if anyone caught the new pattern emerging on social media yet? Too soon? Ah, well I'll just wait for guesses!
Fans of the C-Drama will recognize the spirit of the video contest entries. I had EMOTIONS watching this entire arc the first time, and I am going to capture those emotions here.
As always, be brutally honest. Be smart. Wash your hands. Stay cautious - warm weather isn't a free pass for shit.
~Rae