Isabella and Gordon's attention was once again placed on Owen.
"It wasn't a big deal, I just helped her get over her fear when it comes to talking to guys." Owen answered truthfully.
Isabella clapped her hands excitedly "Ohhh! Now you really have to spill the tea. Tell me, who is it?" Isabella looked at Annie, ready to listen carefully to not miss a single detail.
- - - - -
Annie was a bit overwhelmed with her mom's enthusiasm.
"Ehh…" Scratching the side of her head with her finger, she replied with some level of shyness. "It was Lawrence… the guy I've been telling you guys about."
Isabella's eyes gleamed. "Really!? That is wonderful. I heard how great of a guy he is from your stories." She then teased Annie with a poke to the cheek.
"He's a very kind person as well… believe me when I say that." Owen approved of Lawrence after seeing how he treated his sister in person. And after seeing them talk to each other, they felt like two adorable and shy lovebirds.
Gordon was still skeptical. After all, he's a father and we all know how fathers act.
"How can I be sure that he won't hurt you in the future?" Gordon touched his beard as he thought. No one knew what was on his mind though. "I will only give my approval once I see him in person and he turns out the same way you say he is."
Jazmine decided to vouch for Lawrence. "I don't pay attention to him much, but according to the rumors we heard about Lawrence, he seems to be a genuinely good guy. He volunteers for a lot of work around our academy that doesn't really reward him much. From that point, I can see that he is worth being trusted."
"It's natural for me to be defensive. But if he turns out to be a really good person, I can live with that." Gordon's expression seemed to loosen quite a bit.
The conversation between the Ivory family had a great atmosphere. Moments like these were moments that Owen cherished the most.
But as Owen was about to say something, he felt his phone vibrate.
He took his phone out and when he saw the Email notification, he was shocked.
The sender of the message had a verification badge next to their name. And the color of the badge was blue, meaning it was from an official company.
=====
> Abyssal Confinement [Official] : Greetings Ivory11, We've been watching your MeTube channel for a long time now. You have showcased a great deal of skill and quality entertainment for your viewers to enjoy.
We've seen plenty of our previous games being featured in your channel, and even though you rarely found bugs despite our diligence when it comes to bug fixing, we saw that talents like you are very useful when it comes to giving a game balance, insights and polishing the game mechanics.
That's why we would like to extend our invitation for you to work as a playtester for our future games. Naturally, we can talk this out in a more detailed contract, that's why we are messaging you today.
If you agree to our invitation, please respond immediately. Come to the nearest Abyssal Confinement branch in your area as soon as possible.
Do we have your permission for you to explore a world under the domain of gods?
Please reply by saying, "Yes, you have my permission" to activate the notification from our company's message detection system.
=====
"..."
Owen's eyes widened as he stared at the screen.
Jazmine noticed Owen's strange expression, so she asked if he was alright. "Hey, Owen? You good? You're kinda just dozed off there."
"Oh, I am better than just good." A smile slowly crept on Owen's face. "I got an invitation from Abyssal Confinement to work as a playtester!"
Gordon wasn't that knowledgeable about this kind of stuff, but seeing how happy Owen was, he knew that it was something very good.
"So, you can get some kind of full time job now?" Gordon asked him after some deliberation on how to deliver his words.
"Exactly! And the best part is, even though a playtester doesn't sound much, the monthly salary of a playtester that works for Abyssal Confinement is 50 thousand!" Just from Owen's tone and his hands shaking, Gordon and Isabella knew that he wasn't joking.
Isabella smiled warmly at Owen. "Son, calm down… Even though that's an attractive offer, make sure to read their terms and conditions carefully. And as my son, I trust you to have wise judgement on matters like this."
Gordon patted Owen's shoulder. "Son, if you see that the terms aren't bad and you get the job, you are responsible for what you earn. I will not interfere in any way because that is your hard earned reward. Understand?"
"Of course.. Also, do you want a new car?" Owen said as he placed his phone on top of the table.
"Oh? You're going to buy me one? I wouldn't reject an offer like that." Gordon laughed. "Just make sure it's not from where I work... I don't trust their cars."
"Of course I will. C'mon, I'm not a stingy guy. What do you guys want if I get the job?" Owen urged them to ask for anything that he could afford.
It wasn't him being arrogant or anything. After all, if you happen to get a lot of money, wouldn't you treat your family and friends first?
It is understandable if some of you wouldn't do the same thing. After all, every human has their own agenda.
Isabella pretended to think by resting her chin on her palm. "How about a Smith and Wesson M&P Shield 9mm? But if we're going to talk about expanding my collection, I guess a Mauser C96 would be very welcome…" Isabella answered with the sweetest smile that it was hard to imagine she is a beloved teacher full of kindness.
Turns out, she's also an enthusiast when it comes to firearms.
And truth be told, when Isabella met Gordon, it was in a firing range.
=====
A few years ago…
Back then, Gordon only agreed to watch his friend Justine practice his aim in a firing range.
It was supposed to be a casual hangout when someone from Gordon's peripheral vision happened to catch his attention immediately.
Like a fish on a hook.
Turning around, he saw a short haired woman fire her gun at the targets from across the corner. He didn't believe in love at first sight, but at that moment, he couldn't have been more wrong.
Gordon began asking his friend Justine who practices at the firing range frequently about the woman. But all Justine told him was,
"I'm not sure about that one chief… She may look pretty, but she isn't interested in anyone. Plus, her tongue is quite sharp when it comes to insults. I really don't suggest following through with that plan of yours."
But Gordon being Gordon, he didn't care. In fact, he had to admit that he did like her tomboyish nature quite a bit.
His first attempt was faced with rejection. That wasn't unexpected. But Gordon kept trying regardless. He kept going because he knew that he truly liked her and that he wouldn't find someone like her anywhere else.
This went for a year. Even though Isabella wasn't showing any kind of romantic interest, they still ended up as friends.
Sure, it was one-sided. But he kept trying.
It was only until one fateful day, Isabella asked him after practicing.
She emptied her gun's magazine and sighed the moment Gordon approached her once again.
Isabella rested her elbow on a table and turned around. She was feeling curious and she asked Gordon without giving him a chance to speak. "Hey four eyes, why do you keep going after someone like me? Aren't there prettier girls out there? I promise you that you have better chances with them than me."
Not expecting her sudden question, Gordon exhaled before responding. "But I don't want them… Compared to you, they aren't quite the same."
Isabella put her gun back into its holster and looked at him carefully. "And why is that? What's there with me that is worth your time? What is there to like? You already told me you're not doing this for some stupid bet, so why are you being so persistent?"
She then smiled, "I'm just curious, that's all."
Gordon felt a little tingling sensation on his face. He gathered some courage and asked first, "Are you sure you want me to tell you why?"
Isabella shrugged. "Go and be as cheesy as possible. I won't care."
Gordon nodded. "Alright then…"
He began speaking.
"Since you want to know what I like about you… I love how sharp your eyes are. They have this fiery, serious look, yet they're so beautiful. And your hair? It's short, stylish, and it really suits you perfectly."
"Your smile is also beautiful. Even though you seem to scowl at me every time I try to talk to you, I can tell from your smile that you're not really a bad person. I admire your personality too even though you are rude to me sometimes. But even so, I've seen how kind you truly are."
"Just like that time when you gave some of your lunch to an old lady down the street, when you paid for my taxi because I left my wallet at home and when you helped that cat that was stuck on a fence… Your dedication to practicing with your gun every single day is also impressive and I respect that a lot."
"You're a beautiful woman with a kind heart. How could I not be drawn to you because of that?" Gordon then waited, he shut his eyes, expecting to get slapped, but that wasn't what happened…
Instead, he heard Isabella chuckle.
Isabella held her face, her eyes softening as she looked elsewhere and asked, "W- Wow, I uhh… I didn't expect that one…"
"So you…. really like me that much? Even though I am more of a man than a woman in the eyes of others?"
Gordon shook his head. "That part of you isn't a drawback. I will always appreciate any way you would act. All I care about is who you are. And for me, that's all that matters." Gordon was surprised that she didn't get mad at him from his earlier response.
After hearing one compliment after another, Isabella couldn't handle it anymore and conceded.
Isabella slumped down with a sigh and looked at him. "Aghhh…. fine… about that date you keep asking me about, eh.. let's go." She inadvertently moved her eyes away from him as she spoke.
"Wait, really?" Gordon was surprised. "You're really agreeing to it?" After countless rejections, Gordon wasn't expecting her to agree this day.
"Do you want me to change my mind or what?" Isabella turned her head to the right as she spoke with some annoyance.
"Ah not at all, what time do we go?" Gordon straightened his posture and asked.
"Meet me at Knotswin Park later. I'm going to get dressed first." Isabella flicked her hand at him, gesturing for him to leave. She didn't even want to look at him directly.
"Gotcha, see you there." Gordon quickly left the firing range.
As Isabella watched him leave, she didn't know how red her face was from her blushing.
And after that, the rest was history.
Back to the present…
=====
Gordon laughed. "This reminds me of the time I first met your mother."
Isabella pouted and knocked his arm with her elbow. "Don't remind me of those times… I've changed from whoever I was from back then, alright?"
Gordon looked at her and said, "But that was when you were the cutest, just like a feisty kitten."
"Stop! Alright I get it! Can we please not talk about those embarrassing times? Gosh…" Isabella sliced a piece of steak for herself and ate it. The way her personality shifted from all those years was a sight to behold.
Owen and his two sisters were holding their laughter from their mother's reaction.
It didn't take long for Owen to swallow it deep in his stomach though. He then turned to Jazmine and asked, "What about you sis? What do you want?"
"If you give me premium memberships to all the apps and platforms I use, then that'll suffice." Jazmine didn't ask for that much.
"And Annie, what's something that you want?" Owen pointed a breadstick at Annie while small crumbs fell down from it.
"Ehm… let me think… I'm probably going with different types of drawing paper and a lot of new brushes, pencils and drawing pens. I am also running out of colors so… I think I'm going to have to make a list for this one." Annie's mind was currently filled with different materials she could finally have after so long.
"Why not? See? Now everyone's satisfied." Owen also finished his meal after eating the small piece of steak on his plate.
Isabella also finished eating and asked Owen, "What about you son? What will you get yourself?"
"Me?" Owen pointed to himself. "I'm going to buy a few upgrades for my PC and my phone, hire an editor, buy a treadmill and I'll have it in my room, some dumbbells and a custom made katana from my first Abyssal Confinement game with my name on it."
"More upgrades? When are you going to make your gaming PC more of a monster than how it already is?" Jazmine knew that Owen has been doing this for a year now. And to be fair, Owen's PC was already too beefy to begin with. She didn't see a reason for more upgrades.
"You wouldn't understand. I need those extra frame rates…" It was unknown what Owen was currently thinking of. But to be fair, it's definitely about gaming.
Gordon added, "Actually, I remember those times when his computer was still a small, gray cube with a mouse and keyboard. Now it turned into a black and white monstrosity with a large fan and a… water cooling system, you say? I didn't even know computers needed that much cooling. Last time I poured water on my laptop, it broke."
Isabella replied with a slight shrug, "Times have changed. It's not strange to see things that seem abnormal in this day and age."
"Very true… you have to be one step ahead in order not to be left out in the dust." Jazmine paused as she swallowed the food she was chewing. "Although I'm sure dad can keep up with the times since mom was able to do so."
"Keeping up with your mother? Phew… I barely had any luck on that. One round in and I'm toast…" Gordon laughed at the joke first. Owen was second.
Isabella pinched his side where it was the most ticklish. Her face was a bit red.
"Okay, that tickles! Please stop." Gordon flinched and wrapped his arm around Isabella who retreated like a turtle.
Seeing their parents being all lovey dovey with each other, Owen thought of a joke.
Owen leaned closer towards Jazmine and Annie, whispering, "That explains why there's three of us, huh?"
Jazmine nodded as she chuckled while Annie only turned her head away with a smile.
"Hey! Owen, what are you telling your sisters?" Isabella shifted her gaze to Owen.
"It was nothing, I swear!" Owen immediately declared his innocence.
"You're really just like your father…." Isabella crossed her arms.
Laughter filled the room.
Right now, the mood is very nice.
The rest of them continued with their conversation until all of them finished their meal.
Once they did, they cleaned up after themselves and relaxed.
Meanwhile, Owen went back to his room and sat on his bed. He opened his phone and looked at the Email from Abyssal Confinement.
=====
> Ivory11 : Yes, you have my permission.
Owen saw someone typing from the other side.
> Abyssal Confinement [Official] : Thank you, Ivory11 for your response.
We sure hope that this new environment will suit you very well. Since we have your permission, we can most certainly expect your arrival.
Good luck.
=====
"Why so ominous? Eh, I guess they stay on character for some reason." Owen shrugged off the weird style of the messages.
He clicked off and went on DeCode to message Rocky.
=====
> 11_14_Ivory : Yo, are you working?
> HardShellCoconut : ye
> 11_14_Ivory : i'm going to go there, cya
> HardShellCoconut : ok, i will wait. No peeps around so it's all good.
> 11_14_Ivory : Got it
=====
Owen decided to put on the same white jacket with the yin-yang pattern, white pants with black flame designs and the white rubber shoes.
It could be said that it was his favorite attire.
Why was it his favorite set of clothes? His jacket and his pants used to be plain white until he mastered the art of embroidery.
He only had black thread back then, but as you can see, he made good use of it.
Owen got out of his room and went downstairs. On the way, he saw Gordon watching TV while sitting on the couch.
Seeing Owen about to go somewhere, Gordon asked, "Where are you headed?"
"At Rocky's… Decided to hang out a bit."
"Alright then, make sure to get back before it gets dark." Gordon gestured towards the door. "Make sure to lock it as well."
"Yep." Owen closed the door and was on his way to Xtreme Gaming Central.
"..."
Meanwhile in Owen's room.
*Zzzt*
His PC suddenly buzzed.
It wasn't even plugged in, but it still powered itself on.
As the screen opened up, the dragon wallpaper was replaced with An ancient looking mural that just appeared.
In the mural, it depicted a woman in an aged, gray, soulless wall. The woman sat in nothing but water and light.
Her skin was like porcelain, filled with cracks leaking clear water. She wore a long white cascading dress of feathery trails, free from impurities.
She had six arms that branched out in different paths. Two arms reached in front of her chest with hands clasped together as if she was praying.. Two arms grew out of her back, shielding her eyes, and another pair of arms extended out from the sides of her torso, holding two human skulls on the left and a human heart torn with bites on the right.
Her black hair fell down like a descending stream, flowing down on parts of her skin as they went down. An eyeless upside down face of a woman that was identical to hers was protruding out of her womb.
Her face was solemn and quiet.
Amidst her silence, she spoke with a woeful voice.
"The gardener was tasked by the will of her masters to tend to the growth of their garden."
(Der athesemus hendri ont yertima tursertito acwend dilha anindo onta furdomis.)
"She poured her heart and life into the garden, sprouting seeds of beauty and purity."
(Anin frucdal ontin palnam hehd insari durr furdomis, delhactum yerkan feru hehd resi.)
"But the masters were greedy, only claiming the fruits, but they never give the love deserved by the garden"
(Naht ont yertima endri aguel, elhof ont oernmati, telao ontat frucdalin desmu nil palnamis rekasna ont furdomis.)
"Thus, illness covered the garden's soil, it consumed the stems and began devouring the roots."
(Kiltona, pelramat tulaha ont furdomis kerdum, belafri direk ahtin hehd belafri direk ahamtin.)
"The fruits lay uneaten in the barren land, the flowers began to wither and the heart of the gardener began feeling the agony and the cries."
(Ont desmu gerua logaci kerdum, ont telhamid trehas daecet hehd ontin athesemus belafri kakmon hehd yakaht.)
"The gardener tried to fill her body with the illness so that the garden no longer has to suffer. But all this did was shatter her body of beauty and purity, barely alleviating the garden's pain."
(Ont athesemus geltam ontin unoa nireg pelramat durhe nam furdomis helt lakmonis. Naht geranti olt ontin hasalak taw feru hehd resi, nedi talak furdomis kitela.)
"The wills of her master were desperate and afraid. They made the gardener save the garden by seeking a seed to devour the illness and return the resplendent glory of the garden's flowers."
(Ont yertima demino turhed lamtisos hehd iodis. Ontat galim ont athesemus vinla ont furdomis gedafri ahamtinos kilnar ont pelramat hehd banim ont theilasmas gintar ontoma furdomis telhamid.)
"O blessed soul,"
(O, ginalman siyecha,)
"In my name,"
(Onduren thel,)
"Heva'Oern Mlyeht,"
(...)
"I ask you to shoulder the pain brought by the illness."
(Duren kel onter gara ont kitela darum ont pelramat.)
"In the name of the Gods."
(Dur thel ont indamis.)
"May your soul not shatter."
(Nergani siyecha helt kitelkan.)
"…"
Suddenly, a buzzing sound exploded.
*Zzzt!*
Owen's PC sparked once again and turned off as if nothing happened at all.
The room returned in its deathly silence.