Follow Gilbert to the Library

You smirk at the other Leontes students. "To speak frankly, Berthold, I think you and Winona there made a very cute couple." Winnie shoots you a dirty look and you give her back a wink. As you tell yourself, you've got to start being more assertive and aggressive. There's plenty of students here who will walk all over you socially if you let them, and you realize you need to start being more assertive. "Have fun at the silly flying broom game, lovebirds. I'm going to go after that other boy and make sure he doesn't get himself into too much trouble wandering off alone like that."

"Sounds like you're a touch jealous yourself." Berthold says smugly. "Hardly!" you retort. "We just met. But he has the right idea, setting out into the unknown like that. Going to a broom polo game we would likely simply end up watching and waiting for something to happen with a bunch of other Leontes. They told us that the pitch and the outdoor areas are the favorite places for Leontes to pass the afternoons, am I right? I'd rather find something more interesting, more unfamiliar..."

"Yeah," Berthold says, leaning back and putting his hands behind his head. "Blondie has it bad for Gil. Mark my words but he'll come back with a slap-mark on his cheek and Franzi fawning all over him." You glare at him but don't reward him with a frown. "Go on being an ass, Berthold, I'm sure that will do wonders for your chances of success with ze girls."

You turn and walk away, taking after Gil before you lose track of him completely. "You'd be surprised!!" Berthold shouts after you as you walk off, still in an obnoxiously playful tone of voice.

Soon the curly-haired girl up ahead, with the perfectly practiced 'sultry geek' look that you have no doubt reaps frequent success, pauses to chat with Gilbert and glances back at you. She beckons you forward and you shyly approach, waving and giving your gamest grin.

"Oh look, Gilber-t!" she says, dropping the 't' from his name and adding a typically french roll to her words that you suspect might just be an affectation. "Another of your friends happened to have the same idea as you happening to have the same idea as me, hmhmhm~" she titters coyly. Gilbert looks back and flashes you a smile, but his eyes are a little suspicious, constantly flicking back to the Draconis girl. _Don't blow this for me, _his eyes seem to say to you. You give your hair a toss with one hand and giggle as you come up to shake the Draconian's hand; What am I, chopped liver? And you ought to be ashamed of yourself besides, is the message you do your best to convey back to him with a look.

"So lovely to meet you! My name is Felice Collier." she gives you a wink that might be... flirtatious? Given the Draconis reputation, best to assume so. "I think you will find that the library is a very, very interesting place on days without classes, oh yes yes." she chatters, starting to walk that way again. "Every time I finish a book from there, I feel the urge to go back for another. Sometimes I want to stay and enjoy it there... but then, the library can be quite distracting in surprising ways, teehee. Really, I am glad the two of you are interested in striking out from Leontes territory, mm - most of my House likes to avoid it this week." she says cryptically. "And, well, those Beavertail students who always hang out there can be a bit overbearing at times. I'm sure a fine time will be had by all, though! I hear that those who make friends with them can easily get invited to their feasts as well, and they are such wonderful cooks!" she smacks her lips for emphasis. You don't know quite what to make of Felice. Something still seems untrustworthy about her.

As you continue down the hallways, soon enough you come to the huge double-doors leading into the library. As soon as you push it open, you can smell the dust and hear the sounds of many distant rustling papers and sliding ladders, but an eerie absence of conversation. "Now," she says in a whispering voice, "It is important that we all stay quiet in here - I'm not sure if you have yet heard but the librarian is notoriously heavy handed in zhe discipline! Hmhmhm~"

The both of you nod. But before you can get more than 10 steps into the maze of towering bookshelves and hefty mahogany tables, another student - wearing the cheery colors of Beavertail - steps out from a blind spot between two bookshelves and enters your path, grinning gleefully and waving to Felice. He cups his hands and whispers a bit too loudly. "Felice! I'm glad you came back! I already finished, uhh... 'proofreading' that introductory herbology report of yours!" he holds up a sheaf of half a dozen papers proudly. "'Twas easy work really, I didn't mind it at all. Oh, hum, are those a couple of Leontes friends of yours?" He barely spares the two of you a fleeting glance and a polite wave before he re-devotes his attention to Felice, to Gilbert's visible dismay.

"Oh," Felice says, batting her eyelashes. "Thank you, umm..." she trails off, smiling at him with feigned interest. "James, James Kenney." the Beavertail student says with an unperturbed nod. "You said you had something else coming up too, aye, Miss Felice?" he asks with puppy-like eagerness. "Potions, or...?" You get a better look at him: he's very tall, at least six foot, and has that beanpole/scarecrow look that a lot of bookish first years do. He has a head of untamed, curly, dark-red hair and a freckled pale complexion that tells you he probably spends so much time in the library because he doesn't tan well. Still, he's kind of cute, in a sort of awkward, rustic way.

"Aaaactually,"Gilbert says, perking up and looking as if he's just gotten a bright idea, "James, right?" he brushes up to James and forcefully interposes himself between James and Felice. James keeps smiling but gets a look on his face like a dog who's just had his bone taken away. You roll your eyes; boys. She doesn't even look that hot to you. Sure, she's tall, has an aquiline nose and full, juicy lips, well-developed c-cup breasts... ....Hmm. You blush a little and your awkward smile dies. "Yes, can I, ah, help you, m'lad?" James says, biting down on his huffiness.

Gilbert moves aside but gently takes hold of James' elbow, masterfully guiding the taller boy's gaze onto you. You raise an eyebrow, surprised, but wave again. "Er, hello James." you say in a low voice. "This is, um, Franziska." Gilbert says excitedly. "Another new arrival to Leontes. She's an out of towner, actually, and having just a tiny bit of trouble getting acclimated to Boarbristle and keeping up with her assignments at the same time. Her first week's assignments are a bit sixes and sevens, if you know how I mean." James nods along, slowly starting to apprehend Gil's meaning, as the Leontes boy continues. " Now, I like to think I'm an okay student, but I'm no genius wizard or anything. You, though - you're a prodigy, mate! A whole report done like a bomb in, what, one night? If that? I tell you mate, I know we've just met but you'd be doing Franzi a real solid if you would help her 'cram' a little. Those second week quizzes and assignments are rough. What do you say?" Gil gives you a **** look and a tiny jerk of your head indicating you should step forward. You feel it'd be rude not to, so you take a step closer to James and extend a hand, which he reluctantly takes and gives a light shake. "Tell you what - why don't you let me borrow Felice for a minute, let her show me the fascinating book we were chin wagging about. Meet you back at the center of the library in, say, hour and a half? You can go over your - uh, I mean, Felice's proofread paper then."

James looks a little suspicious, but he seems one of those people who's just too nice to say no to a polite request. "Well, can't very well leave a lady to fend for herself, can I?" he mutters with a grin and a shrug. "Suppose I'll see you in a bit then, Felice... and.. Gil. Ahem." he clears his throat a tiny bit, and gave Gilbert a clap on the shoulder that was just a little too hard. The dark-skinned Leontes lad leans back and quickly whispers in your ear. "A thousand times thank you Fran - you're the best cock-block-blocker a fellow could hope for." Before you can process that well enough to give him a withering glare he's grabbed Felice's hand again and led her off deeper in the library. "Au revoir~" Felice says to the two of you in a singsong voice as they walk off- which gets her shushed by several nearby, nervous patrons not wanting to attract the librarian.

Looking back to you, James puts on his best smile. "So... just you and me now... Franziska? Hm. Well, alright then." he says to himself. "Shall we find a desk and put our heads together about these assignments of yours?" You start to refuse politely but, on second thought, Gilbert wasn't exactly wrong. Some of your herbology assignments are downright frightening, and what's worse, your natural talent for magic won't necessarily help you there. You nod, blushing a tiny bit in spite of yourself if only due to being the center of attention, and let James take your hand and lead you to a corner desk. As it so happens, this particular desk has a large double-wide loveseat rather than two separate chairs in front of it. He sits down and motions to the spot next to you, opening his book-bag.

Franziska's options:

• Give James the brush off as quickly as you can manage and go sneak after Felice and Gilbert to spy on them or have a little fun.
• ENCOUNTER James and try to get him to help you with your schoolwork and get to know him better (His DILIGENCE +2d6)
• ENCOUNTER and convince James to follow the two of them with you out of curiosity and/or jealousy.