the first occasion

[deepest_magic]

The house just northeast of Forks proper is very big, quite abandoned, and really easy to just walk right in if you're of a mind to. There are signs that people have been camping in it while hiking, but currently it is unoccupied by visitors, squatters, or any animals larger than a squirrel. There's been a fair amount of furniture but fewer small possessions left behind: couch, piano, dining table, wardrobe, armchair, kingsized bed. It's in extremely variable states of repair.

Comments

[deepest_magic]

"You haven't been over here before," observes Bella. "Want to see my room?"

[neverbeatme]

"Sure."

[deepest_magic]

Up to Bella's room! It contains many books and a bed and a chair and a handful of apparently little-used stuffed animals and other toys occupying a basket at the foot of the bed.

[neverbeatme]

"Ooh, books."

[deepest_magic]

"Mm-hm. Don't read the notebooks please."

[neverbeatme]

"Yeah, I wasn't planning on it. How about the book books? Any good ones?"

[deepest_magic]

"Most of my books are at Renée's house, mostly because that's where I am birthdays and Christmas and that's when I get most of my books, but the ones that are here are the ones that I've read and liked enough that I want them handy when I'm here and there isn't a really good bookstore around."

[neverbeatme]

"I'll take that as a yes. Which ones are your favourites?"

[deepest_magic]

Bella starts pointing out books, ranging from Watership Down to Christmas Carol to Pinnochio to Heidi to Pippi Longstocking to a fairly complete set of Roald Dahl.

[neverbeatme]

"You know, I've never read Watership Down. Worth it?"

[deepest_magic]

"It's about bunnies, but it's pretty serious for being about bunnies. You can borrow it if you want. There's a sort of a sequel but I don't have it here."

[neverbeatme]

"Sure, thanks," she says.

[deepest_magic]

Bella offers her the book. "I like old books," she says. "Renée thinks this is just because old books that are still getting printed have been - sorted through a lot already, though."

[neverbeatme]

Elizabeth accepts the book.

"Maybe. I like old books too, some of them." She smiles. "The Sherlock Holmes stories are my favourite."

[deepest_magic]

"I've read a couple of those but not all of them. Should I read them all?"

[neverbeatme]

"Well, which ones did you read, and did you like them?"

[deepest_magic]

"Scandal in Bohemia, and one that didn't make a huge impression, I can't remember the title."

[neverbeatme]

"I really like the one where it's from Holmes's point of view and he keeps apologizing for giving too much away while you totally have no idea what's going on unless you've read it before. But that's probably my strange sense of humour at work," she says.

[deepest_magic]

"I don't think that was one of the ones I read. Why do you like them?"

[neverbeatme]

"They're fun. I like the language and the style and the mysteries."

[deepest_magic]

Bella nods. "Maybe I'll read more of them. My mom picked Scandal in Bohemia for me because she said it was the only one with an interesting lady in it. That's one problem with old books is that usually they're not very up to date about that sort of thing."

[neverbeatme]

"There's interesting ladies in some of the other ones," says Elizabeth. "Maybe not interesting in the same way as Irene, but interesting. I could write you a list if that's the sort of thing you're looking for."

[deepest_magic]

"I don't care as much as Renée does. Just send me to good ones."

[neverbeatme]

"Okay. Try Hound of the Baskervilles, that one's fun."

[deepest_magic]

"Hound of the Baskervilles it is."