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Chapter 34 by Zingiber Zingiber

Choose one and roll AMBITION-1 (-2) to Deal with Nan.

Appease Nan. On a 7-9, she's a distraction, take -1 Forward.

"Poesy, whatever you're doing, it can't be that important," Nan says. "Come with me."

Nan leads you back to your room, which you theoretically share with the absent Trevor Harlequin.

"Time to get you moved in," Nan says. "Get your things."

You pick up your modest assortment of things, including Boarbristle uniforms in the House Beavertail colors, both masculine and feminine styles, your books, and a little box of personal things you'd brought with you to the Academy.

"Are your old clothes all...grey robes?" Nan asks.

"I liked them simple," you say. "I don't know, I was too busy for things like clothes."

"You don't even wear jewelry?" Nan asks.

You blink at her. "Who would I wear it for?"

"Poesy? For yourself. For me. For the Great Mother of Desire," Nan says. She sighs. "We shall have to fix you up, somehow."

What you had thought was going to be a quick exercise of moving your few items from Trevor's room to Nan's room turns into an extended consultation on style, substance, and the importance of intentional presentation.

"All these things are reminders, Poesy," Nan says. "They're declarations to yourself and the world. Who you are. What you want. What you stand for. What does a grey robe mean? Nothing! A plain Beavertail robe, little more."

Nan finally releases you with a single token and a promise to enhance your image later on. You now wear a cord holding a stamped image of the Great Mother of Desire on a flat, teardrop-shaped silver pendant.

Susan Quaffle sees you in the hallway. "Poesy, the Tutor wants to see you and check in on your duelling lesson." She sweeps her shaggy blonde hair away from her face and points. "That way, remember?" Beavertail's unlikeliest-seeming Prefect says.

You make haste toward the Tutor's office, your head still full of Style and Presentation and Attention and not as much on Magical Defence as perhaps it should be.


Roll +Diligence (+1) (+2 Diligence, -1 Forward) to ENCOUNTER Beavertail's Tutor. On a 10+, you pass evaluation. On a 7-9, you owe another lesson. On a Miss, take an Easy GOAL (Cunning -1, +1 XP on success) to demonstrate improvement in your basic dueling skill.

Roll +Diligence (+1) to ENCOUNTER Beavertail's Tutor

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