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The new crop of freshmen is mostly pretty ordinary. They're fresh out of middle school, playing with new identities, seeing how the batch from this neighborhood react to the batch fed in from the other side of town. They're bonding or forming petty enmities over music and fashion and flash-in-the-pan romances; they're developing opinions about their teachers and the quality of the cafeteria and how early they have to get up in the morning to catch the bus.
Here, sitting by herself writing in a prettily-bound notebook, is a twelve-year-old. Must have skipped a couple grades.
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deepest_magic
deepest_magic
That afternoon is AP English, which Isabella attends. Partway through she is excused to the restroom. She doesn't bring her notebook along, although she does close it on her class notes - without so much as putting a bookmark between the oddly parchmentlike pages - before she goes.
against_all_trouble
Arthur and Suzy are also in AP English. In fact, they were sitting right nearby.
Arthur lazily runs his fingers over the page-end of the notebook. He whispers to Suze, "This is really odd paper. Wonder how it was made?"
Arthur lazily runs his fingers over the page-end of the notebook. He whispers to Suze, "This is really odd paper. Wonder how it was made?"
ladysunday
"Ooh, let me see!"
Arthur passes it to Suzy, who opens it up to the first few pages.
Arthur passes it to Suzy, who opens it up to the first few pages.
deepest_magic
The notebook falls open to detailed notes on a bookbinding course Isabella apparently took once. There are what look like slightly filtered photographs, stamped right into the pages as though they were inked there.
against_all_trouble
Thoroughly distracted from English, Arthur looks and whispers back, "Weird..."
And then turns to another page.
And then turns to another page.
deepest_magic
The bookbinding notes interrupt themselves to suddenly become a collection of the pictures, all roughly index-card-sized. Autumn foliage. A castle on a beach. A unicorn in a forest, flowers braided into its mane.
Four thrones, three empty and in one of them a girl, who looks just like Isabella but a few years older, in queenly raiment with scepter and crown.
Four thrones, three empty and in one of them a girl, who looks just like Isabella but a few years older, in queenly raiment with scepter and crown.
against_all_trouble
"She looks like Isabella. Maybe she has a cousin? Who does really, really thorough fantasy SCA, and made a fancy printed book with pictures and notebook pages for Isabella. Which has notes written in it before some of the pictures."
deepest_magic
Here is older-Isabella - in these pictures quite a bit older - dancing with a short man with furry legs and horns and a tail.
Here is Isabella mounted on a griffin.
Here is Isabella addressing a giant.
Here is Isabella and a centaur doing archery side by side.
Here is Isabella mounted on a griffin.
Here is Isabella addressing a giant.
Here is Isabella and a centaur doing archery side by side.
against_all_trouble
"Yes. And maybe not keep reading her... probably-magic book."
He'll turn a few pages back and forth to see if they stay the same. But he's still going to close the book afterwards.
He'll turn a few pages back and forth to see if they stay the same. But he's still going to close the book afterwards.
deepest_magic
Calligraphy practice, with margin notes about technique.
A map, pasted in in index-card-sized installments from some other source, of a place that seems unlikely to exist on the geography teacher's globe.
A to-do list with items like "expecting messenger from Archenland" and "consult Mr. Tumnus about rescheduling appointment with representative from the winged horses".
A map, pasted in in index-card-sized installments from some other source, of a place that seems unlikely to exist on the geography teacher's globe.
A to-do list with items like "expecting messenger from Archenland" and "consult Mr. Tumnus about rescheduling appointment with representative from the winged horses".
against_all_trouble
Yep, definitely putting down the magic book and leaving it alone. It probably isn't cursed, but Arthur does not feel like taking chances.
English proceeds, mostly without Arthur and Suzy paying any attention to it.
English proceeds, mostly without Arthur and Suzy paying any attention to it.
deepest_magic
Isabella comes back from the bathroom. She lets her notebook drop carelessly open; it displays English notes and she adds to them diligently.
against_all_trouble
At a spare moment a few minutes later, Arthur turns to Isabella and says "I'd like to hear more about your daydream story sometime. With the unicorns and fauns and all."
against_all_trouble
"No, but they're in the book. The paper was odd and we didn't expect... any of that."
deepest_magic
"You read my -"
"Isabella," says the teacher. "Is there something you want to share with the class?"
"No, Mrs. Williams, I'm sorry," says Isabella, clutching her English notes.
"Isabella," says the teacher. "Is there something you want to share with the class?"
"No, Mrs. Williams, I'm sorry," says Isabella, clutching her English notes.
against_all_trouble
"It was your English notebook, it didn't seem secret! And I put it down as soon as I figured out the pages didn't stick to one thing."
ladysunday
"I opened it. Sorry. We just saw some stuff about making books, and a couple pages of pictures."
deepest_magic
"I use it for things besides English. Never open it again," hisses Isabella, and then she returns her attention to the lecture.