MULTIVERSE: Go to the Library

( Beware spoilers! Don't read a multiverse chapter if you haven't finished the canonical story!)

There’s too much going on. You can’t afford more trouble now. It’s time to be smart, and smart people hide at the library. Professor Austen will not expect to find you there.

You head into town, seeing a familiar figure making her way up the steps. You slow down as you pass, watching the French girl enter the library. She’s wearing a checkered skirt and a blue cardigan. Her dark hair is down and her cheeks are red from the cold. Her breath comes out in white puffs as she goes inside you see her glasses fog up.

This was the right call. You park in the back so that Professor Austen won’t see your car if she cruises the block. You hurry inside, where your glasses fog up as well. You wipe them off and find her at a table with an English textbook. She looks glad to see you, but there’s no way she got this dolled up for no reason. She was expecting you to check in today, although maybe not quite so soon.

If not for the drama, you would have definitely come here looking for her today. You’re glad that it worked out this way.

You sit beside her, but you didn’t bring a book. She gives you a little smile.

“I forgot,” you say, having no idea if she understands. “Can I share yours?” you ask, looking at her book.

She moves her chair closer to yours and pushes it over so you can see. She’s learning about pronouns. The French girl must not find them very interesting because you feel her hand under the table in less than a minute. She’s resting it on your leg.

You look at each other in the silent library. Her perfume is amazing. The librarian’s cart rattles quietly in another part of the empty library. Over the next moment as she holds your gaze, you communicate without words. You never thought you could be this aroused by just looking into someone’s eyes. It’s hard not to think about the last time you saw her. Her hand inches up your leg. She enjoyed that. It looks like she wants to pay you back.

You lick your lips and get comfortable, putting your elbow on the table and holding her gaze as she gently unsnaps the button of your pants. You have to bite your lip as she gently works her hand into your underwear.

Thirty seconds later you are doing your best to stay proud and not bite your knuckle. As she effortlessly, lightly manipulates your clit with her fingertip, you realize that your ego is out of control. You thought of yourself as the teacher when you made your move on her.

She makes you look like an amateur, and she keeps this calm, sweet look on her face as she does it. It’s almost… a look of sympathy. Sweat beads on your forehead and you nervously watch the librarian pass with an armful of books, then you whimper as she effortlessly brings you off.

The French girl gently rubs your thigh as you recover, smiling at you.

“Thank you,” you gasp, in the interest of international relations.

She leans over and whispers something in your ear. You don’t understand it, but you also feel like you do. Still breathing hard, you pull her notepad over and pick up her pencil. You write the address of CCL House and draw a clock with the hands pointing so she knows exactly what you mean. You tap it several times with the pencil until she laughs and gives you a coquettish look.

She’ll be there. Then you can have this conversation again, with no glasses on, no librarian, and no clothes. You'd take her there now if you didn't have to worry about all this other stuff.

The librarian is out of sight and you know what she’s thinking. You’re thinking it too. As you start to lean forward to kiss her, you see something move at the door. You look over to see Officer Lang making her way up.

“Shit,” you mutter, getting up and hustling into the nearest aisle as Officer Lang enters the library.

The French girl stands up, looking surprised. You hear the door open and close.

Officer Lang is not here to learn. You feel something in your hand and look down. It’s the notepad! You’re holding the address that you meant to give the French girl.

Risk giving it to her?

Or sneak out the back while you can?

[ Not open because this timeline doesn't exist! ]

Multiverse notes: in this branch, whether we give her the address or not, the French girl will turn up at CCL House instead of Roxy. She’s a weak ally because she’s physically weak and we can’t communicate with her, but she would have either one or two invisible wildcard stacks that will allow her to intervene to prevent tragedy either once or twice, based on whether or not we risked giving her the address. Give her the address, get two stacks. Sneak out the back and she’ll only save you once. If you go out the back, the story just resumes. If you give her the address there’s a confrontation with Officer Lang that foreshadows Professor Austen’s innocence.