"...for aught that I could ever read/Could ever hear by tale or history/The course of true love never did run smooth." A little Edward. A little Bella. A few fairies, and a robot. Into the woods we go. Twilight meets A Midsummer Night's Dream.
I've discovered @LyricalKris and read a million of her stories over the course of two weeks. Then the holidays went bazonko, and I couldn't find anything to read after they settled. I asked Lyrical for a rec, and she sent me to this fic: Love in Idleness. It is as the summary says, "Twilight meets a Midsummer Night's Dream," but that doesn't mean you have to have read the play. All you have to have is a love of all things fun, namely: robots, fairies, art, phone apps, and unexpected first kisses.Love in Idleness starts in a dream world while Bella is sick, and, therefor, unsure of what is real and what is fantasy. As someone who reads at all times of the day in two minute increments to five hour increments, I will say the first few chapters made me focus. I had to, but once I knew what was real and what was fantasy, everything fell into place, until it fell out again.
Edward Cullen is a freshman computer genius, taunting his crush, Bella Swan, junior, with his technical skills, "the raised eyebrow, the lifted chin, and the cockeyed grin." As in true Bella fashion, she is not a cougar and has a problem with the age difference. But he is persistent and creative, as is our dear author, Plummy, who writes us nods to canon with twists.
As he began to learn practical applications for his knowledge, Edward used the time he spent running to focus on the projects he might undertake with his newfound expertise. He was also in the midst of a growth spurt, and as his legs grew longer and stronger, his pace quickened. He added a pass of the Swan's house to his regular route and one night, as he approached, noticed Bella's bedroom light was lit, saw her moving back and forth, and climbed the tree to say a quick hello.
The conversation went something like this: "Hello."
Bella screamed bloody murder, her father bounded up the stairs, and Edward leaped off the branch and ran faster than he had ever run in his entire existence.
After she'd composed herself, Bella worried that Edward had seen her pretending to be a woodland creature in front of her mirror. Wearing absolutely nothing under the silky nightgown her mother had given her, she'd been walking around the room on tiptoes, while her hands followed the direction of her elbows the way she'd been taught in ballet, imagining that she had been swapped at birth and wasn't Bella Swan at all, but a fairy with magical powers that could make any man fall madly in love with her, in addition to being able to fly. Bella had always wanted to be able to fly.
I can't stop laughing. Love. Love. Love.
Bella chastises Edward, but she's also flattered. Flattered enough to begin a friendship with him, but not enough to date him or give him the attention he wants. So now insert mandatory I-went-to-a-dance-with-someone-else-and-now-you're-jealous drama here. And then this happens:
"I fixed your phone." Edward said and handed it to her. Bella's fairy app had somehow frozen, and poor old Mote had been stuck in mid-flight for a week.
"Thank you." Bella was not as excited to have the phone back as she was to have Mote. While she thumbed across the screen, noticing that Edward had updated the text too, she heard him ask a question, but only heard the challenge at the end of the sentence, not the words. "Hmmhmm?" she hummed, still focused very much on the tiny fairy.
"Did he try anything?" Edward repeated. Despite all evidence to the contrary, he liked to take the direct course to information whenever possible.
Bella smirked in what he took as a condescending manner. "None of your business," she said blithely as she rested her cheek on her arms. Mote slammed face first on to the floor, which caused new words to pop up. The screen read: "A lion among ladies is a most dreadful thing." Bella laughed and glanced up at Edward, smiling, only to be met by his scowl.
"I would have if I were him." Edward didn't like being dismissed, and he didn't like beating around the bush. He wanted her to know he wasn't a little kid, which was the category she filed him under whenever the topic of his obvious affection came up, and he wanted her to know now.
"Would what?" Bella only half listened to him as Mote's flailing cartwheel brought about:
"Lord, what fools these mortals be!" That was an obvious line to have chosen, she thought, but it was very Edward, so she let it go. "Thank you for fixing my phone," she said softly, ignoring his obvious displeasure.
"And you would have liked it." Edward's confidence was really quite shocking.
"Liked what?" Bella didn't want to stop playing with her phone, nor did she want to get into this with him, but she pulled herself away from Mote to listen to his answer.
"Liked it if I tried something." Edward wanted to climb through the window and try something right now, despite the fact that her hair was a rat's nest and she had black smudges under her eyes.
"I fixed your phone." Edward said and handed it to her. Bella's fairy app had somehow frozen, and poor old Mote had been stuck in mid-flight for a week.
"Thank you." Bella was not as excited to have the phone back as she was to have Mote. While she thumbed across the screen, noticing that Edward had updated the text too, she heard him ask a question, but only heard the challenge at the end of the sentence, not the words. "Hmmhmm?" she hummed, still focused very much on the tiny fairy.
"Did he try anything?" Edward repeated. Despite all evidence to the contrary, he liked to take the direct course to information whenever possible.
Bella smirked in what he took as a condescending manner. "None of your business," she said blithely as she rested her cheek on her arms. Mote slammed face first on to the floor, which caused new words to pop up. The screen read: "A lion among ladies is a most dreadful thing." Bella laughed and glanced up at Edward, smiling, only to be met by his scowl.
"I would have if I were him." Edward didn't like being dismissed, and he didn't like beating around the bush. He wanted her to know he wasn't a little kid, which was the category she filed him under whenever the topic of his obvious affection came up, and he wanted her to know now.
"Would what?" Bella only half listened to him as Mote's flailing cartwheel brought about:
"Lord, what fools these mortals be!" That was an obvious line to have chosen, she thought, but it was very Edward, so she let it go. "Thank you for fixing my phone," she said softly, ignoring his obvious displeasure.
"And you would have liked it." Edward's confidence was really quite shocking.
"Liked what?" Bella didn't want to stop playing with her phone, nor did she want to get into this with him, but she pulled herself away from Mote to listen to his answer.
"Liked it if I tried something." Edward wanted to climb through the window and try something right now, despite the fact that her hair was a rat's nest and she had black smudges under her eyes.
Due to a tragic accident, the two would-be teen love birds are separated for many years, though they never forget each other and often wonder what would've happened. As the years pass, Edward hones his skills, developing loads of smart programming, while Bella lives happily enough, even though she has a non-job job. She finds happiness in the little things: the comic she draws and the fairy parties she puts together for small children. Their lives are worlds apart, but their common interests and love of imagination lead them toward one another again.
There's so much more I want to say, but I can't because it would give too much away. Just know this fic has everything: humor, romance, imagination, fun, top-notch technical writing, and the funnest make believe app ever.
I promise you will love this fic. Just don't blame me when it freaks you out at that one part and keeps you awake until 2am, because . . . yeah. This story reads like a fantasy, but it's not. It just makes you feel so much. It's unique and beautiful and so are the rich characters. I adore this Bella. I think she's in my top three Bellas now. She's innocent and brave and kind and fanciful. I want to be her friend and go to her parties!
Read. Love. Imagine. And Vote for Mote.
Team Jacob safe although he does have a double dong in this story. Fact.
Low smut.
High whimsy!
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