By the time when Alice first shows up at Stanford visibly (as opposed to lurking around the ceiling at Bella's classes, making smart remarks in her head), Janine has put in a request, and so have four other girls on the hall. (Lillian wants a summery floral dress, Tasha wants a midnight blue evening gown, Ruth has expressed a fondness for polka dots, and Kuo wants something gothy. Bella politely makes no remarks about anyone's taste.)
Bella likes all her teachers okay, and also the orchestra conductor and her soccer coach. Life is good.
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dress for success
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
Alice
edgeofyourseat
The morning of the day that he is allowed to officially show up, Alice has an idea.
He spends the rest of that morning immersed in clothing design.
At last, a few hours past lunch, he twirls in front of the full-length mirror in his sewing room. Layers and layers of long, pointed fabric petals flutter with the movement; delicate, glittering fabric wings quiver behind his back.
That seems likely to make about the right first impression.
He spends the rest of that morning immersed in clothing design.
At last, a few hours past lunch, he twirls in front of the full-length mirror in his sewing room. Layers and layers of long, pointed fabric petals flutter with the movement; delicate, glittering fabric wings quiver behind his back.
That seems likely to make about the right first impression.
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
[You're very silly,] Bella tells him.
Alice
edgeofyourseat
[Yep!] he says brightly, and picks up the package containing Janine's dress, and invisibles his way through the magic door, and de-invisibles when he is sure no one is in the stairwell to see him, and takes the stairs up to Bella's floor.
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
Bella waits for him to actually knock before she gets the door. She wants to be that helpful girl who is super-competent and has useful connections - not that girl who might possibly be psychic.
"Hi!" she says, greeting him with a hug. She avoids messing up his wings in so doing. "Alice, this is Janine. Janine, this is my boyfriend."
"Hi!" she says, greeting him with a hug. She avoids messing up his wings in so doing. "Alice, this is Janine. Janine, this is my boyfriend."
Alice
edgeofyourseat
"Hi!" He hugs back cheerfully, then turns to Janine and holds out the neatly tissue-wrapped package. "Gotcha something," he says with a wink.
"Hello it is nice to meet you is that my dress," says Janine, yoinking the package out of his hand and tearing it open.
It is, indeed, her dress: sky-blue, demurely high-necked and low-hemmed, with elbow-length sleeves and slightly puffed shoulders and a faint pattern in the fabric that hints at clouds.
"It's perfect," she gushes, hugging it to her. "Thank you thank you! I will pay you, just a moment." She lays the dress down carefully on her bed and digs out her wallet.
"Hello it is nice to meet you is that my dress," says Janine, yoinking the package out of his hand and tearing it open.
It is, indeed, her dress: sky-blue, demurely high-necked and low-hemmed, with elbow-length sleeves and slightly puffed shoulders and a faint pattern in the fabric that hints at clouds.
"It's perfect," she gushes, hugging it to her. "Thank you thank you! I will pay you, just a moment." She lays the dress down carefully on her bed and digs out her wallet.
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
"Looks like something a Disney princess would wear," comments Bella.
Alice
edgeofyourseat
"Yes it does!" says Janine. "It is delightful!"
She counts out five twenties and hands them to Alice, who shrugs and hands them to Bella.
"No pockets on this thing," he says, tugging at the skirt of his fairy tunic. "Guess I shoulda thought of that."
She counts out five twenties and hands them to Alice, who shrugs and hands them to Bella.
"No pockets on this thing," he says, tugging at the skirt of his fairy tunic. "Guess I shoulda thought of that."
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
"No worries," says Bella, tucking them into her purse. She makes a small point of putting them in a separate pocket from her main cash stash in the unlikely event that Janine is paying attention.
Alice
edgeofyourseat
Janine is busy asking Alice, "What should I call you?"
"Whatever you feel like," he says.
"Tinkerbell?" she giggles.
"Knock yourself out."
"I think I'll stick with Alice," says Janine.
"Go for it."
"Whatever you feel like," he says.
"Tinkerbell?" she giggles.
"Knock yourself out."
"I think I'll stick with Alice," says Janine.
"Go for it."
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
This exchange makes Bella snicker.
Alice
edgeofyourseat
Alice grins at her. So, tentatively, does Janine.
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
"What should I tell the other four wanters of dresses about when they should expect 'em?" Bella asks.
Alice
edgeofyourseat
"Not yet," he says. "Soonish. I'll probably be done one this week but I don't know which one."
"You're so precise," Janine observes, and Alice laughs good-naturedly.
"You're so precise," Janine observes, and Alice laughs good-naturedly.
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
"All right," Bella says. "What's the Disney Princess dress made of?"
Alice
edgeofyourseat
"Cotton," says Alice. Janine nods approvingly.
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
"An excellent plant," Bella says. "Alice, anything you wanna see while you're here?" [And light bounces off of you?]
Alice
edgeofyourseat
Alice giggles.
"Dunno, like what?"
"Dunno, like what?"
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
Bella shrugs. "Parts of campus. The downtown area. There's stuff in Palo Alto too, if we go there."
Alice
edgeofyourseat
"Sure," he says. "Show me someplace cool." [That I haven't been already.]
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
"There's a plant nursery," Bella suggests, "if you don't mind sitting behind me on Tegu to get there."
Alice
edgeofyourseat
"I so don't."
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
"Yeah," says Bella, smirking. "I didn't think that was gonna be a problem." She heads into the closet for her leather ensemble, which goes on over her regular clothes.
Alice
edgeofyourseat
Alice admires her openly.
Janine clearly thinks they are both adorable.
Janine clearly thinks they are both adorable.
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
In short order Bella is jacketed and leather-pantsed and booted and gloved; her helmet is sitting on Tegu. "Off we go," she says, and she trots out the door.
Alice
edgeofyourseat
"Have fun, guys!" says Janine. Alice waves to her on his way out, and she waves back.
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
Bella conjures an extra helmet in the stairwell - [You left yours on Tegu, you have one because of course you don't usually get around by flying,] she coaches - and they go out to her bike. She zooms them along to the garden, which is indeed full of interesting plants, including cactuses and other things unheard of in Forks.
Alice
edgeofyourseat
The interesting plants are fun and so is Bella. Alice is fond of both.
At some point, a thought occurs to him: [Should I get a bike?]
At some point, a thought occurs to him: [Should I get a bike?]
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
[Quite possibly. Want me to design you one?]
Alice
edgeofyourseat
He beams. [Yes!]
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
Bella starts thinking about that. [Any guidelines I should bear in mind?]
Alice
edgeofyourseat
[Mm... dunno,] he says, and starts thinking of vague mental images. He kind of likes that thing his wishcoins do, where they're flat glossy black unless you see them out of the corner of your eye, and then all of a sudden there's colours. Possibly that is too magical to use for a pretending-to-be-normal bike, though.
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
[A little bit. I was thinking a bolder color scheme for you anyway. If I mess with the finish it could look different colors from different angles? Not traditional but hardly magical; they do it for advertisements, something to do with ridges on the surface.]
Alice
edgeofyourseat
[Awesome,] says Alice.
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
['Kay,] says Bella merrily. [There's also the question of where I should appear it.]
Alice
edgeofyourseat
[Not a clue,] says Alice.
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
[I guess I could door back to Forks invisible, and pop it into your garage, and you can say your mysterious internet motorcycle supplier delivered it when no one was watching.]
The design's forming up in her head. Pretty bike.
The design's forming up in her head. Pretty bike.
Alice
edgeofyourseat
[Works for me,] he says serenely.
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
[We can go when we're through looking at this pretty garden.]
They finish looking at the pretty garden in due course, and then hop on Tegu back towards school, and duck into the door into Alice's basement when no one is looking. Janine, even if she sees Tegu, will probably just think they slipped off somewhere to make out. (Which might also wind up being true.)
They finish looking at the pretty garden in due course, and then hop on Tegu back towards school, and duck into the door into Alice's basement when no one is looking. Janine, even if she sees Tegu, will probably just think they slipped off somewhere to make out. (Which might also wind up being true.)
Alice
edgeofyourseat
Alice's lair and its magic doors are so convenient!
Alice has no need to be invisible in his own home when no one actually knows for sure that he isn't in it; he leads invisi-Bella up out of the basement and out to the garage.
Alice has no need to be invisible in his own home when no one actually knows for sure that he isn't in it; he leads invisi-Bella up out of the basement and out to the garage.
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
In the garage - which is unoccupied - she creates him a bike.
The exposed piping is all black and arranged to look like it's got a rainbow sheen of oil over selected parts. Seen from the front, the surfaces - not those underportions but the carapace - look brilliantly red, fading pinker towards each edge, like someone shot the bike in the middle of each panel and it bled very carefully. Seen from the back, it looks blue fading to sky-cyan, and viewed directly from the side both colors muddle to purple-lavender. It's bulkier than Tegu, it looks more like a spaceship than a cat, but it's low to the ground and glimmers with every saccade of the eye.
[Ta-da!]
The exposed piping is all black and arranged to look like it's got a rainbow sheen of oil over selected parts. Seen from the front, the surfaces - not those underportions but the carapace - look brilliantly red, fading pinker towards each edge, like someone shot the bike in the middle of each panel and it bled very carefully. Seen from the back, it looks blue fading to sky-cyan, and viewed directly from the side both colors muddle to purple-lavender. It's bulkier than Tegu, it looks more like a spaceship than a cat, but it's low to the ground and glimmers with every saccade of the eye.
[Ta-da!]
Alice
edgeofyourseat
He marvels at it for a moment.
Then he says, [Can I have sex with this one?]
Then he says, [Can I have sex with this one?]
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
[It is yours,] Bella says. [I'm not gonna supervise if you do, so warn me if I'm reading you when you take it into your head to hump your bike, in case I'm not paying full attention at the time.]
Alice
edgeofyourseat
He laughs. [Okay, sure.]
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
[Want a matching outfit or are you more of a hop-on-in-whatever-you're-already-
Alice
edgeofyourseat
[You know what,] he decides, [I would love a matching outfit.]
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
Bella thinks, and produces one. Leather won't do the same different-colors-from-different-angles thing, alas, so the jacket has red-fading-pink in its various parts, accented blue, and the pants are blue accented red, similarly. Dark purple gloves and boots with stitching in both other colors. It is exactly the right sort of garish.
Alice
edgeofyourseat
It is awesome is what it is. Alice hugs her impulsively, not that he ever does anything any other way.
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
Bella is quite happy to hug him back! [I'm glad you like 'em.]
Alice
edgeofyourseat
He kisses her forehead, also impulsively, and hugs her some more.
[I love you. You're the best.]
[I love you. You're the best.]
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
[Yes. Yes I am,] Bella laughs.
Alice
edgeofyourseat
Alice shuts up and just loves her. Bella is perfect and hugging her is perfect and the things she gives him are perfect and there is nothing he would change about this moment.
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
Bella leans into him and into the thought and sighs comfortably.
[No one's going to walk into the garage and see you hugging the empty air, right?]
[No one's going to walk into the garage and see you hugging the empty air, right?]
Alice
edgeofyourseat
Alice turns invisible.
"Nope."
"Nope."
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
Bella snickers softly. [Good.]
Alice
edgeofyourseat
He giggles right back.
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
There ensues a long, silent, invisible hug.
Alice
edgeofyourseat
It is very snuggly.
[Oh, hey,] says Alice, as a thought occurs to him. [Mom's throwing a party to, I dunno, celebrate ditching Dad and keeping his money. It's gonna be big and boring and full of boring rich people. Hilary's cooking, though. Wanna come?]
[Oh, hey,] says Alice, as a thought occurs to him. [Mom's throwing a party to, I dunno, celebrate ditching Dad and keeping his money. It's gonna be big and boring and full of boring rich people. Hilary's cooking, though. Wanna come?]
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
[How boring are the rich people?] Bella asks consideringly. [Like, as far as you know they really aren't that interesting, or, they're some unknown mix of old and new money and maybe some of them run awesome companies but you hold them in general contempt?]
Alice
edgeofyourseat
[I haven't actually met most of them, but they all know my mom, and she probably met a lot of them through Dad, so there's a good chance they're either boring or assholes. Or boring assholes.]
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
[Is there some non-rude way I could get a copy of the guest list and find everybody online?] Bella asks.
Alice
edgeofyourseat
[I ask my mom who's coming, she shows it to me, you read my mind?]
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
[That works, yes.]
Alice
edgeofyourseat
[Cool.]
But he doesn't feel like un-hugging right now.
But he doesn't feel like un-hugging right now.
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
[No rush. Unless the party is, like, tomorrow.]
Alice
edgeofyourseat
[Nope! It's in a couple weeks.]
Isabella Marie Swan ✴ "Stella"
self_composed
[Cool.]
And then she decides her speculation about where Janine will imagine they are ought to be true. Kisses kisses.
And then she decides her speculation about where Janine will imagine they are ought to be true. Kisses kisses.
Alice
edgeofyourseat
Mmmmmm, kisses. Alice loves Bella. Her surprises are the best surprises.