Peregrine Poesy, intersex, House Beavertail

Peregrine Poesy was sponsored by House Beavertail.

Peregrine's basic Traits are Ambition -1, Bravery +0, Cunning +1, Diligence +2.

Two special abilities:

• Rapid Gender Cycling: Every time Peregrine sleeps or after rolling for HAVE SEX, a gender change is possible. If your HAVE SEX roll is 10+, you may, as one of your options, choose to avoid Rapid Gender Cycling. Otherwise, roll 2d6. On a 10+, pick male or female. On a 7-9, change to the opposite, or in whatever direction the intermediate state was going. On a miss, describe a combination of features directed away from the last full gender or reversing direction from the previous intermediate state.
• +1 Bravery

Character Sheet: Peregrine Poesy

Boarbristle Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry

First Year, House Beavertail (House Trait: Diligence; House Sex Move: Stamina).
Traits: Ambition -1, Bravery +1, Cunning +1, Diligence +2.
Extra Spells: none
Friends: none
Favors: none
Gender cycling: Currently intersex towards male. After next sleep: On 10+, choose male or female, on 7-9 male, on a miss, flip to intersex towards female.
XP: 0.

"Can I have my medicine back?" you ask the House Tutor.

"I'm sorry," the House Tutor says. "You won't be able to use your medicine at Boarbristle." A senior witch, in the House robes of brown trimmed with gold, she inclines her head sympathetically toward you.

"But without Androstat I'll start cycling again," you object. "It's really distracting for me. I needed it when I was doing my exams. It's why I'm even here."

"I reviewed your application," the Tutor says. "It's decidedly not why you're here."

You open your mouth but think better of actually speaking.

The Tutor continues. "Androstat depresses magical sensitivity and reaction time. You may not need it for your examinations, but you'll be dueling, child. You have to be sharp. Your habits and basic discipline are stronger than you think, and you're a far better person as yourself."

Whoever that might be on any given day, you think.

You're sure that your fishy gape irritates the Tutor, but perhaps she sees it all the time from the first-years.

"Libido is a fundamental fount of **** for the Subtle Arts," the Tutor underlines. "Yes, it can be a supreme distraction from the book-learning part of the Arts, but harnessing a practicioner's libido is an essential part of Boarbristle's programme."

The Tutor tilts her head and frowns slightly, then clears her throat. "Do you prefer to be addressed as Mister Poesy or Miss Poesy?" she asks.

"Peregrine," you suggest.

"We are formal at Boarbristle, especially when out of House," the Tutor says. "Very well, perhaps we must simply address you by your surname. Poesy will have to do."

"Thank you, Tutor," you say. You take a deep breath. Your medicine holds you in a sexually intermediate state and depresses your libido. It's been a relief that most of the time since puberty, you've had its help suppressing not merely the discomforting urges that most young people have, but cyclic physical changes. You guess you were headed toward male, but it's been long enough that it might be anyone's guess and the phase of the moon which way your body jumps.

"Thank you, Poesy," the Tutor says. "Head Boy will find you a prefect to take you to your room."

The prefect is a bored, glassy-eyed second-year girl wearing a gilt metal pin in the shape of the House banner as her badge of office. Beavertail's Head Boy speaks sharply to her about her deportment. "S-sorry sir," she stammers.

The Head Boy hands the prefect a bulky parcel tied with string. "Linens, gowns, slippers, face flannels," he tells the prefect, "You know the drill."

She straightens up. "To the rooms, right away. What's your name, new...girl?" she asks.

"Peregrine Poesy," you say. "I'm not really a girl or a boy right now."

"Oh, you're THAT ONE," the prefect says. "I mean, oh, right, you'll be in Trevor Harlequin's room."

"Are you just a prefect starting this term?" you ask, wondering at her manner.

"Starting today," she says. "We had an unexpected vacancy." With the Head Boy well out of sight, her manner softens. "I'm Susan Quaffle," she says. She's a girl of little physical distinction except for above-average height and a great mane of wavy dishwater-blonde hair.

"Oh," you say. "What's Trevor like? Is he a good roommate?"

Susan shakes her head, and her dark-tawny mane ripples. "You won't have to worry about that. Trevor won't be at school this term."

"Is he ill, or traveling?" you ask.

"I might as well tell you," Susan says. "He had a serious girlfriend from House Draconis, Mariana Holdspear, and well, I don't know whose idea it was, but they'd got hold of a Transformation spell and over the summer, they were going to see what it was like with him as a girl and her as a boy. I suppose they must have gotten on like a house afire, since the story is that Mariana got Trevor up the duff and it's far enough along, nobody dares try anything."

"Oh," you say. You press your lips together into a line, not wanting to grin or smirk until you know how it might be taken.

"Stranger things happen every year," Susan says. "Mind your head."

Susan leads you through a low archway into a hall of Beavertail students' dormitory rooms, as you can tell from the varied decorations tacked upon the doors. She opens an undecorated door and shows you the room. Two beds, two desks, two chairs, two bookcases and two wardrobes, a window with rippled old glass, and to your joy, a brass fire-pig, eyes glowing as it emits heat.

"You know how to use a fire-pig?" Susan asks. "This is a pretty standard one."

"Oh, yes, thank you. I was afraid I might end up in a cold little garret," you say.

"Maybe in Minerval or even Leontes," Susan says. "Not in Beavertail." She puts the string-tied parcel down on the empty desk. On the other side of the room, Trevor seems to have left many of his things. "You've got a House robe in there, you'll want to wear that for evening mess. Hmm, this is a big parcel, I wonder what they gave you?" She runs you through the other items. "Oh, they have both men's and women's style robes. I suppose whatever suits you. Do you wear different sizes, depending?"

You reply, "I don't know, I haven't been, you know, all the way boy or girl for a few years now." You pull down the corner of your mouth. "I suppose I'll find out."

"I'll come back when it's time to wash up for evening mess," Susan says.

"So, do I say, 'Thank you, Prefect?' or 'Thank you, Susan?'"

"Oh, well, at evening mess it would be 'Thank you, Prefect.' Back here in the rooms it's whatever, unless the Head Boy or the Tutor is glowering over my shoulder."

You laugh. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome," Susan says. "Come find me in the common room if there's a problem with the bed or anything. Lavatory is..." Susan paused, looking puzzled. "Oh well, either end of the hall." She pointed one way, then the other. "That side, boys, that side girls."

What do you do before evening meal?

• Snoop through Trevor's things to find a clue or interesting gossip? (Custom Move, roll +Cunning)
• Take a nap and see if you settle in as more definitely male or female before evening meal. On a 10+, choose, on a 7-9, settle as male, on a miss, be conspicuously intersex trending female.
• Try and meet other Beavertail students (Encounter, roll +Diligence)
• Sit in the common room and observe other Beavertail students to learn about the routine and pick up gossip (Custom Move, roll +Diligence to pay close attention and learn things)
• Something else? (Try another Move)