the first occasion

[deepest_magic]

The house just northeast of Forks proper is very big, quite abandoned, and really easy to just walk right in if you're of a mind to. There are signs that people have been camping in it while hiking, but currently it is unoccupied by visitors, squatters, or any animals larger than a squirrel. There's been a fair amount of furniture but fewer small possessions left behind: couch, piano, dining table, wardrobe, armchair, kingsized bed. It's in extremely variable states of repair.

Comments

[deepest_magic]

Bella comes over the following afternoon. She has brought a deck of cards, because Charlie has just taught her to play cassino and she wants to see if maybe Elizabeth won't beat her one hundred percent of the time.

"Elizabeeeeth?" she calls, knocking on the door.

[neverbeatme]

Shortly, Elizabeth opens it.

"Bella! Hi."

[deepest_magic]

"Hi! What's up?"

[neverbeatme]

"Not very much," she says. "How about you? You brought cards. Do you want to play cards? I bet you want to play cards."

[deepest_magic]

"Learned a new game. It's good for two people, not like euchre."

[neverbeatme]

"Cool, c'mon in and teach me!"

[deepest_magic]

Bella comes in and teaches her!

[neverbeatme]

Elizabeth is a quick study.

She doesn't beat Bella one hundred percent of the time, though.

[deepest_magic]

Well, that's better than she was doing with her dad!

[neverbeatme]

"This is fun," she declares.

[deepest_magic]

"Dad taught me! It's better than most things he does in his spare time like 'watch sports' or 'go fishing', for sure."

[neverbeatme]

"You make him sound very boring. Is he very boring?"

[deepest_magic]

"Kind of? On paper? He's quiet and conventional and likes things simple, I guess."

[neverbeatme]

"Maybe I should meet him. Find out for myself."

(She'd definitely like to meet him - he might have more information about a certain missing person she certainly didn't find in the back of a wardrobe.)

[deepest_magic]

"Sure, I'd be curious what you'd file away about him."

[neverbeatme]

She laughs. "I'll tell you if I file anything interesting."

About Charlie, that is. Some of the information she's looking for, she fully intends to keep to herself.

"I could come over for dinner sometime, I guess? Does that sound like a plan?"

[deepest_magic]

"Sure. Do you like fish?"

[neverbeatme]

"I am fine with fish!"

[deepest_magic]

"You could come over tonight, then."

[neverbeatme]

"Sounds perfect. In the meantime, wanna play again?"

[deepest_magic]

"Sure." Bella deals.

[neverbeatme]

Elizabeth plays.

This is one of the times she doesn't win.

[deepest_magic]

"Whoo," says Bella, totaling up their points for this series of rounds. "Squeaked over fifty points."

[neverbeatme]

"Congratulations on your victory."

[deepest_magic]

"Thanks!"

Eventually Bella leads Elizabeth back to her house for a fish dinner.

"Fish is like the only thing he can cook," Bella mentions before letting them into the house.