Isabella had finally arrived. She leaned against the large oak doors, listening to the subtle creak as the old wood gave way and the doors opened and breathing in the dusty air of centuries-old books satisfyingly. Her first glimpse of the rows and shelves of books and scrolls took her breath away, and she practically tumbled across the room toward the shelves labeled "Histories." She was so eager to crack open one of the many famous books of the University library that she didn't notice the astonished glances and stifled giggles of the many students and scholars occupying the chairs and tables around her.

Bella found a promising looking history of the war in Sarain, and flopped down onto an unoccupied sofa nearby. She knew she should be moving into her rooms or checking on her classes, which would start the following morning, but she couldn't tear herself away from yellowing pages before her.

The snickers around Bella finally subsided, and she knew the other students would complete forget her existance in another two seconds - after all, everyone else did.

Ashley's head was bowed over a large volume that was only slightly smaller than he was.

His hazel eyes moved slowly down the lines. The book was old and handwritten, badly handwritten. He rubbed his eyes and glanced up when he heard snickers.

A gir.l, new. He decided, closing the book and gathering up with both arms dragged himself over to her. "Hi," he greeted. "I'm Ashley."

Bella jumped like a startled cat, startled by the new voice, and even more surprised that it was talking to her. Ashamed at herself for forgetting her manners, even if this new boy had the awkard gait of someone who was as introverted as she, Bella leapt to her feet and nodded her head at the newcomer. "Bella," she explained with a slight smile. "Isabella of Danar. I just got here."

Ashley watched her jump. "Did I startle you?"

"I can tell," Ashley agreed. "I mean that you're new. Once you've been here awhile you can tell." He nodded once to punctuate what he was saying, the move also highlighting the fact his social awkwardness. "Anyway, what're you here for?"

"Um no, well yes, sort of. But it's fine," Bella mumbled nervously. She looked over this new boy carefully, and, sensing his own discomfort, felt more at ease. "I just found this book on the war in Sarain, and it has quite a good analysis of the causes of the war and..." Bella trailed off, realizing she had been babbling and blushed. "Sorry, I get a little excited when I'm reading."

"Uhm, do you mind if I set this down?" Ashley asked, kneeing the book upward so that he could get a firmer grasp on it. It was heavy and Ashley was sure that he would drop it if he didn't get to set it down soon.

"Oh! No, not at all, sorry, here," Bella moved aside, shifting her own book to the right so that Ashley could set down the enormous book he had toted over from his desk. Why am I always so oblivious to such things, Bella wondered to herself for the millionth time.

"What were you reading? Or, I suppose, studying," she asked as she fumbled with the rotting cover of her aging book.

Ashley gratefully let it drop onto the couch nd looked at his hands where his hands were creased from the weight of the book.

"It's Illustionist theory," he said distastefully. "It's digustingly dull, and most of them, the principles, haven't been used in years. There's more modern, easier ones."

Bella frowned. "Magic stuff then? I suppose that's interesting if you have the Gift. I much prefer histories," she said with a grin, tapping the book that was now leaning precariously over the edge of the couch. She lunged for it before it fell to the floor, causing even more reason for the testy students around her to glare at her, and replaced it more securely on the seat.

"I take it you're here to study magic then," she asked, looking up into the older boy's hazel eyes.

“I have the Gift, and it’s not even interesting me. Dull can’t even begin to cover it,” Ashley sighed and the nodded. “Trying to contain a rather destructive Gift; I’d say I’m studying but that gives me far too much credit.” Ashley shrugged and gave a chagrined half smile.

Bella chuckled and ducked her head, embarrassed. "Why study it then, if you don't like it? I mean, surely there's something you can do that you enjoy... Wait, what do you mean a destructive Gift?" Bella stepped back subtley - she had never been afraid of magic, but if this boy couldn't contain his powers, that was another thing altogether!

“See, the thing is, I can’t study something else. My Gift tends to be biased towards certain things. Mine is fire, destructive, and illusions.” He shrugged. “I had no choice in the first one. When was I was eightish, I set a stack of papers on fire when I my teacher was yelling at me. It was completely natural.” He shrugged. “And no matter what else I study I’d still have theory on it.”

He saw her frightened expression and immediately quelled it, "Don't worry. I can contain unless you severly tick off, and that's do so."

"Ah," Bella said, relaxing somewhat. Depsite his quirks he seemed straightforward enough to her. "I'm sure your teacher loved that. What exactly did she/he say to upset you so much?"

((Wrong account))

"That's a subject that's just better to avoid," Ashley said frankly. It was one of two things that could set him off, any reminder that he was suppose to have been a girl and, of course, his freckles.

The reminder of the embarassment and rage he'd felt in the classroom still had a tendency to make things smoke and in a room in which there were thousands of books, many very rare, that would be worse than normal.

Well, maybe not THAT straightforward, Bella thought, seeing his face cloud over, but everyone has their sore points.

"Right then, I can take a hint," Bella smiled and pointedly changed the subject. "So if you don't enjoy studying, and you aren't so keen on your magic, what do you do for fun around here?"

"Fun?" Ashley echoed adn shrugged. "Depends are your idea of fun," he shrugged. "I go for walks around the city and talk to Orwell."

Bella laughed and replied, "Well my idea of fun IS reading and studying, so I guess you've got me there. Who's Orwell?"

"Orwell is my rat," Ashley explained. Normally, he would have fished him out of his pocket, but Orwell had been banned from the library after a few skirmishes that had sent some students shrinking and running around like chickens with their heads cut off and generally distupted quiet. And another time he had chewed on the edges of book spines.

"How... quaint," Bella replied hesitantly, sincerely hoping the rodent was not with him. "Is the rat magical as well?"

Ashley refraned from telling her Orwell was in his pocket. Most females didn't like rats. He shook his head. "Not at all. He's just an ordinary white rat . . . with three black spots."