//
[Jasper] Good morning, Nova.
[Jasper] Alice is coming over in about thirty minutes, if that's okay?
[Nova] yeah sounds good
[Nova] wait a second
[Nova] how did u know i just woke up
[Jasper] I heard your breathing and heartbeat change.
[Nova] kinky
[Nova] ok well ignoring the fact u most likely stayed in the forest to listen to me wake up
[Jasper] I'm not trying to be a creep, I promise. I'm trying to adjust to your scent so I'm less likely to hurt you.
[Nova] oh
[Nova] remind me to use that super strong body wash more often
[Nova] do u prefer cinnamon apple or vanilla?
[Jasper] I was more referring to the scent of your blood.
[Nova] oop-
[Nova] wow way to ruin the mood
[Nova] here i was trying to woo u
[Jasper] You always woo me, without even trying.
[Nova] sTOP IT
[Nova] it's not FAIR that i'm a human who blushes way too easily and ur incapable of blushing
[Nova] ok moving on
[Nova] i'm gonna get up and get ready to meet alice so ttyl jazz
[Jasper] Alright, ttyl.
//
Nova couldn't help feeling anxious over meeting Alice. How could she not be nervous? She had already heard from Bella and Jasper that Alice was kind and generous, but it didn't soothe her nerves. Alice was a vampire, which meant she was likely just as perfect-looking as Jasper. Nova was just... human. Ordinary. She felt inadequate compared to vampires.
The white-haired girl sighed. She attempted squashing down her fears and anxieties. She took one last look at herself in the bathroom mirror. She was dressed in a simple pair of light-colored denim shorts, a black t-shirt, and her black and white sneakers. She already applied deodorant, as well as a spritz of perfume. She even dabbed on some concealer and applied a coat of mascara.
Nova usually wasn't particularly reliant on others' opinions, but this was important to her. Jasper was important to her, which automatically meant his family was important to her as well. Hopefully she wouldn't screw up and make Alice dislike her. Should she tone down the jokes? Or would Alice appreciate them?
Ugh, socialization is hard.
Nova turned away from the mirror and exited the bathroom. She nearly crashed into Bella on the way out, just barely managing to stop herself in time.
"Hey," Bella greeted.
Nova paled as a thought occurred to her. What if Edward heard her spiel of anxious thoughts?
"Please tell me Edweirdo isn't still here," Nova pleaded.
Bella frowned in bewilderment. "No? He left sometime last night. He said he'd come over again later."
"Oh." That was a relief. Nova really didn't like the idea of a person snooping around in her head. She valued privacy.
Bella opened her mouth to say something, but just then, a knock sounded at the front door. Nova tensed instantly, a new wave of anticipation rolling over her.
Bella seemed to pick up on her nervousness. "Alice will like you, don't worry," she assured.
Nova huffed. "You do realize she probably heard that, right?"
Bella flushed in embarrassment at the realization she exposed her sister's nerves so thoughtlessly. "Er, sorry."
The white-haired girl waved it off, already making her way towards the front door. "It's fine, Bells."
Bella followed behind her, probably excited to reunite with Alice. Nova bit her lip for a split second, before swinging the front door open.
A beautiful girl with short brown hair and warm brown eyes greeted her on the other side of the entrance. Her skin was like porcelain, and there wasn't a single blemish in sight. Her lips were already quirked up into a smile. She was clad in a cute but casual outfit, reminding Nova once again about how Bella mentioned she was a fashion lover.
Nova was slightly dazed by the beauty of Alice. She hadn't expected vampires to be so... distracting.
"Nova! It's so nice to finally meet you!" Alice exclaimed, smile broadening. "You're even prettier in person."
Nova snapped back to reality. "Thanks," she chuckled awkwardly, trying to ignore how her cheeks were aflame. It was rather amazing to have a vampire comment that she was attractive.
Dang. If a single compliment from Alice made her look like a tomato, what would Jasper's compliments do to her?
Hopefully she'd just explode. It'd be a quick way to end the embarrassment.
She could picture it on her gravestone now. Here lies Nova Swan - cause of death: compliments from the definition of literal perfection, Jasper Hale.
"And Bella! It's nice to see you again," Alice spoke, disrupting Nova's thoughts.
Nova opened the door wider, beckoning Alice inside. The vampire strolled gracefully into the house, enveloping Bella in a hug. Bella smiled, returning the embrace.
Nova shut the door. She turned to face Alice and Bella, expecting to see them parting from a hug. What she didn't expect, however, was to get dragged into a hug herself.
Alice's touch was cold, but not in a way that disturbed Nova. The white-haired girl quickly shook herself out of her shock and reciprocated the hug.
"Hmm," Alice hummed thoughtfully, drawing back. "You don't smell quite as good as Bella."
Nova paled. "I swear I used a shit ton of body wash earlier-"
"No, no!" Alice laughed, the sound like tinkling bells. "I meant your blood scent."
"Oh." Nova cleared her throat. "Right. I knew that."
Alice grinned in amusement, not a single trace of judgement on her face. "It's a good thing. It means Jasper should have an easier time controlling himself."
"Edward said something about a plan?" Bella reminded.
"It was my idea," Alice began. "Jasper has the hardest time controlling his bloodthirst, but I thought we could try adjusting him to Nova's scent gradually. That way he would gain more and more control over time, instead of introducing them right away and risking... an accident."
Nova nodded slowly. "That sounds smart," she mused. "So... how do we do that?"
Alice explained, "We'll start with a big distance between you and Jasper, where he can pick up your scent but where you're still safely placed away from him. Then, as he adjusts and his willpower grows, we close the distance, bit by bit."
Bella's eyes flickered over to Nova, as if checking on her sister. Nova didn't even hesitate to respond, "When do we start?"
Alice's gaze gleamed with some sort of mix of amusement and approval. "Whenever you're ready. I assumed you'd want to start quickly so you could be with Jasper sooner."
"Definitely," Nova replied unabashedly.
"Alright then," Alice hummed. "Right now, Jasper should be back at our house. We'll start you off at a fair distance from him. He'll be surrounded by the others, so even if he did lose control, he wouldn't make it to you."
Nova bit the inside of her cheek. It sounded dangerous, like she was flirting with disaster. But his family members were there to keep him from going ravenous. She would be safe, right? She had to do this. She wanted to be with Jasper.
"Okay," Nova murmured. "One more question, though."
"Yes?"
"Does Jasper prefer cinnamon apple or vanilla?"
//
Author's Note: here's my yearly update lmao
feast on it you heathens
//