Chapter Text
[All images courtesy from Pinterest, collage by me]
Belly's not usually one to comment on other people's pages but it's been over a month, four weeks, thirty two days since they posted. And despite being a quiet lurker she's probably @wordfisher's biggest fan.
Ah, @wordfisher Belly thinks; the Twitter account that shares their results from playing their daily New York times Games - wordle, connections, strands, spelling bee and an odd game from another website. Nothing to give away the answers but enough to show their score which sets the target for what Belly is silently competing against.
Occasionally though they share more than just that. Sometimes they repost a medical journal, or something they're excited to see from Film Updates but out of all those little snapshots what Belly loves the most is when they take a picture of the daily paper laid out on a kitchen island, desk or dining table that she doesn't know but its cropped enough just letting her see their messy scrawl on the crossword from twelve down, two across and all around. Its a reminder, telling her that this is a real person behind a screen and it makes her stupidly and parasocially drunk on love.
It's not that bad is it? To be attracted to a person's interests?
Some people like an athletic physique, a quiet reserve or a six foot build and while Belly wouldn't complain about that. She also thinks those qualities are too vain, and impersonal. As hobbies and interests give you a deeper insight into the person.
And now that it's been thirty two days since their last post and Belly is itching.
Yes, she might come across as bitchy but she's a competitive person and likes to know what she's up against especially since none of her friends seem eager to be put against her for some - friendly albeit serious - competition.
It's become a part of her routine since she found the account serendipitously nearly a year ago to log onto New York Times Games to solve/find/connect the words on her commute to the University, comparing their score when she's bored throughout the day, and doing more while she waits for her and Gemma's dinner to cook in the oven.
If anything she thinks a message will be appreciated letting them know she treasures the posts they make, however trivial the account may be, at least she hopes it will be. But hey, as John always told her, you don't ask, you don't get.
@isabellybear:
Hey, just wondering if you're still sulking over PSHAW being a word and if/when you'll be back with the usual content.
You're really good, and I really like your page by the way.
It takes almost a week for her to finally receive a response.
@wordfisher:
Firstly, unlike half the internet no PSHAW didn't piss me off however ironic it is that was the last post I made. What does annoy me however is that the same people complaining about PSHAW are the people using ADIEU as their starter word for vowels and not in everyday life, no one says either daily life. Its a pot calling the kettle black.
Secondly, thank you. Sorry I was gone, life gets chaotic. I'll be back posting again soon.
Belly reading these messages couldn't help but laugh and reply almost instantaneously.
@isabellybear:
“No one says adieu in their daily life” you clearly haven't been to France, or watched the sound of music.
@wordfisher:
That's something someone whose starter word is ADIEU would say.
Is it?
@isabellybear:
No.
Yes.
The chat is quiet after that but what does she expect as a response? a simple dismissal of okay? But the following Tuesday, a day of which she's feeling particularly smug, she finds herself copying and pasting her results into the chat to gloat after noticing @wordfisher's dependent and reliant use of clues that day.
@isabellybear:
Strands #800
“Be Our...”
🔵🔵🔵
🔵🟡🔵🔵
Connections
Puzzle #1072
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟨🟨🟨🟨
🟪🟪🟪🟪
Wordle 1,620 3/6
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩⬜🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Woop Woop!!
He responds with a simple “Well done.” and thumbs up her celebration.
She smiles and soon finds the chat flowing both ways him (she thinks they're a him) reciprocating, sharing his progress along with her like she's a friend he's messaging personally and not a fan who is able to see the same updates being shared to others when she opens her following page.
@isabellybear:
Connections
Puzzle #1098
🟪🟦🟪🟩
🟨🟨🟩🟨
🟪🟪🟩🟨
🟨🟦🟦🟨
Can you please explain what the correlation between these are? I have no clue how you got any of them without losing a life.
@wordfisher:
Purple was different types of stamps. I'm not a genius I just have a collection at home.
Yellow refers to the first three letters of Lord of the Rings characters.
Blue if you add ology to the end of the words they are types of medicine. (oncology, cardiology, pathology, radiology)
I have no idea what green was but they were the only options left.
@isabellybear:
You're such a nerd (affectionately)
So you're saying BILL, FROG, LEG, ARGAN are names??
One name, one animal, a body part and a type of hair oil. How was I supposed to get that??
@wordfisher:
I mean the start of their names yes, BILBO, FRODO, LEGOLAS and ARAGORN
@isabellybear:
Those are ridiculous names!!
…What's your name?
@wordfisher:
Conrad. Sorry it took two months to make a proper introduction 🤝
And the names are part of it's Tonklin's whimsical charm.
In the comfort of her bed Belly didn't know why such little things as putting a name to a page made her stomach flutter but it just did. She could now paint a picture of this man, Conrad who he is and what he does that she doesn’t know. But she can now allow herself to wonder knowing that little bit more about him. Conrad who fishes for words, likes Lord of the Rings, collects stamps and reads newspapers.
@isabellybear:
🤝 Belly, pleased to meet you.
@wordfisher:
You too.
And to think you're complaining about Lord of the Rings characters having silly names.
@isabellybear:
Hey!!
Its short for Isabel
@wordfisher:
I know, it's your username ;)
and I was joking.
It's cute.
@isabellybear changed @wordfisher's nickname to Conrad 💙
Conrad 💙 changed @isabellybear's nickname to Belly 🌼
@wordfisher is now following @isabellybear