Nice to Meet You PV Raf Closed

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Interacting With: @Alan Vanes
Mentioning: N/A

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[font=Segoe Print]It was quite the lovely day out, what with full, fluffy white clouds spotting the crisp spring air, birds singing about in the skies, the sun’s gentle rays falling upon the children of Hogwarts like a blanket, warming the environment in the most perfect sort of way. The grass was a vibrant green, now alight with the joy that May was slowly bringing with its looming presence, in contrary to the April Gloom that had once lingered about in the air, hot, humid, suffocating. The old proverb was holding true – May flowers were blossoming upon the grounds in ever single color of the rainbow, a sea of flavor, enough to bring the bees and butterflies out of hibernation to go observe the lovely environment they’d left those many months ago. The Universe had sent the countryside a blessing, one of its small graces, one that every student would do well to take advantage of on such a fine afternoon, the Courtyard bustling with students looking for a spot to study or catch up.

It wasn’t for just any reason, that the Captain found himself lunching about the Courtyard. It wasn’t often that he ate outside, at that, as most of his friends preferred the cool indoors on such days as April 22nd, in the hopes of finding a peaceful study session within the bare Hall, tables specked unevenly with the wallflowers of the magic school. And, if he wasn’t lunching in the Great Hall, there were yet other places to lunch – the Quidditch Pitch was one of them, an excellent place to practice right after a quick bite, or dare he say, the Rehearsal Room, the perfect place to create a merry tune before being ushered off to his next class. Moreover, there was his favorite study spot on the grounds – the tree, overlooking the Great Lake, had always brought him great tranquility in his time of inward turmoil, on those days he couldn’t think without thoughts of Gem, or the Umbridge Murder, or the suspicious secrets lurking around just about every corner. No, there was a more special reason he’d taken the time to visit the courtyard on such a fine day, possibly more important than any practice or get-together could ever hope to be. And his name was Alan Vanes.

Alan was special in the most peculiar sort of way, the sort of person that Rafael just couldn’t put into words – he was just, so perfect, and on so many levels, from the gentle smile that shone on his face, his adorable mannerisms, to the little stutter his lips produced, the result of which the young Captain had yet to identify. There was something fickle about the boy, some sort of oddity that Captain couldn’t quite his finger on – however, there were a few traits he could identify with clarity. The boy seemed shy to a degree, nervous towards certain people, and yet, he was kind on levels that Rafael couldn’t begin to comprehend, an unending well of love and affection. And that wasn’t even accounting for the physical attributes the boy had claim over. Green eyes, sun-kissed hair, perfect facial features. The kid was as much an angel visually as he was emotionally.

Which was why the boy strode proudly through the walkways of the courtyard, a bright smile on his face and eyes laden with excitement as he quietly searched for the boy in which he was to share lunch with. The courtyard was quite full, as it seemed, as many students had found the day optimal for their lunching sessions, which didn’t exactly help the odds of the young Captain. Thankfully for him, however, Alan’s face was the type that stuck out in the crowd – his eyes quickly caught his lunch partner, feeding his cat nearby. A beautiful sight, greeting the Captain’s eyes like a bout of light in a time full of shadows and darkness. Clutching his sack lunch, he turned, beaming as he waved in the boy’s direction. “Alan, hey!” his voice carried about. He waved his sack lunch near his head for good measure, as if showing Alan what he’d brought, before straightening out his uniform, eyes glinting in mischief. “Been looking for you, mate~” [/font]

@Rafael D'Spacito

“Alan, hey!”, he heard the familiar voice that was carried over to him and the third year looked up, head facing into the direction from where he had heard the voice. "Rafael!", he chirped in shared excitement as he left the rest of the boiled chicken unattended for Tiger's consumption. He was glad the first year had made it and actually managed to show up. "H-How did the t-test go?", he asked curiously as he mentioned for the taller kid to sit down with him. He had so many questions and was excited to get to know him better. Hugh was the only person from his house who he knew was a Quidditch player and now he also knew Rafa.

He picked up Tiger from the bench and sat him onto his lap so that the other kid could sit down next to him, in case he wanted to. He really hoped so! "I'm st-still happy that y-you were able t-to join the g-game", he told him, meaning the game of tug o' war that took place two days prior to this one. He hoped that Rafael enjoyed it, even though he had that small quarrel with the other kid, Zyke.

In response to Rafael showing him his packed lunch, he held up the sandwich he brought for himself, a bright smile spreading over his face, letting his face appear softer and making his eyes glint in a soft green. "Wh-What did y-you bring?", he would ask the other kid curiously.

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Interacting With: @Alan Vanes
Mentioning: Evelynn Decipio • Gryffindor Quidditch Team

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[font=Segoe Print]It was funny, how crushes worked.

At the very sound of Alan’s voice, the Captain’s face lit up, his eyes brightening with a glint that could only be described as pure joy. Alan’s acquaintance was funny, in the way that it made the boy feel genuinely happy, a force of nature generating love and light. Which, to say the least, wasn’t typical behavior coming from the young Gryffindor – more often than not, he felt angry, or tense, even dangerous, in the subtle, mischievous sort of way. There weren’t many people at Hogwarts that could make him smile, even less with their mere presence. Well, Alan certainly wasn’t the typical student. He supposed that much, however, was more of an unspoken fact, than anything else. After all, he wasn’t shocked by the strange feeling in his chest. Not in the least.

“Suppose it went fine,” he answered Alan’s inquiry, looking down at the soft, green grass as a wry smile spread over his features. He would proceed to kick at a stray dandelion, in the attempt to distract himself from the face of an angel. “Transfigurations, yeah? Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, I guess, but it didn’t seem… too difficult, I suppose.” Then, looking up, he shrugged, his smile disappearing, replaced with a more serious look. “I really enjoyed your game, you know. Seems like a real bright idea – just aren’t enough games going about the school in general. Guess that makes you an entrepreneur, yeah?” Then, furrowing his brows, he backtracked his words for a second. Entrepreneur? That wasn’t the word he was looking for. “I mean, eh,” he contemplated, “Actually, I don’t remember the English word. Excuse me.” His cheeks gained a chock of color, and he looked down again, practically glaring at his shoes.

Was this what crashing and burning felt like?

He would watch as Alan’s eyes glinted, soft green emeralds of color, the alluring beauty of his face distracting the young boy for a moment. Lost in his own deafening thoughts, he nearly forgot to answer the boy’s question. Staring slightly, he let the sack lunch fall to his side, shaking his head in a wry sort of way. “Tuna salad sandwich,” he eventually answered, wry smile returning. He would walk over towards the boy in that moment, sitting on the edge of the courtyard fountain and patting the edge, as if gesturing for the boy to sit with him. It was then that he properly noticed Alan’s cat – had the animal been present the whole time?

No matter, he had more pressing things on his mind. Particularly Alan’s letter. “You know,” he started, his eyes dancing in mischief as he pulled out his lunch, unwrapping it from the sandwich bag it presided in. “I was quite surprised to hear of your confusion regarding Quidditch.” It was true – he’d been Captain for a total of three months, that much was public knowledge. Such a notion was rather ridiculous, at least in his ears. However, he could do little to feel disappointed. After all, it was Alan he was speaking to. “Especially since a lot of developments have been made in the last few months. For instance,” he looked down at his sandwich, “were you aware of the drastic roster changes? We lost almost the entire team. Rook and Parker included.” It was saddening, the thoughts tugging at the end of the boy’s lips in a frown. “Since the Hufflepuff versus Gryffindor Game, we’ve only managed to retain a total of three players from the original setup. Three! Can you believe that? I’m Captain, too,” he added wryly, looking over, “if you didn’t know already. Evelynn and I, we’re running the team. I’m sure you’ve heard of our most recent win?”

He was bragging, he knew that much, but perhaps he couldn’t help it. He felt immense pride, not only in his leading skills, but the skills of his entire team. They’d certainly come along way, since the beginning of the team. He ought to be entitled towards such feelings. Looking at his sandwich once more, he proceeded to take a bite, a wave of flavor hitting his tongue. God, he was hungry. “Sandwich is good,” he stated absently, dabbing some of the excess off his lips with his sleeve. Then, looking over at Alan once more, he allowed a small grin to take over his features, eyes alight with mischief as he continued. “What’s your take on Quidditch, yeah?” he asked, a good-willed question. “You like flying?”
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@Rafael D'Spacito

The third year got up from his previous spot on the bench swiftly and headed towards the beautiful fountain in the midst of the courtyard. He noticed none of the clumsy behavior the younger boy displayed, merely giving him a soft smile from time to time. 'Transfiguration, huh?', he wondered, his eyes gleaming in their soft green. "N-Not y-your f-favorite, I s-suppose?", he asked the Gryffindor next to himself with playful curiosity. Alan himself wouldn't call the subject his favorite either, but he seems to have some connection to it that just made it easier for him. He didn't even have to understand it, he seemed to be in his element; at least when it came to casting. He knew it was because of what he was, of that freak side inside of him. For a moment a thoughtful look crossed his features, but he quickly shook it off and replaced it with a smile. "It h-has n-nice spells, b-but it's r-really difficult t-to understand...", is what he added then with a light chuckle. He was just glad that he had spells at all or didn't have to... fly. He bit his lower lip lightly, dreading every Flying lesson to the point of simply not taking the class at all. He couldn't stand the professor of it either; she was really rude!

He couldn't help but to give a snigger when the taller kid did stumble over his way of phrasing, shaking his head softly in reassurance. "I'm g-glad you e-enjoyed it, I m-might host some m-more in the f-future!", he explained as a comfortable warmth spread to him at thee word of praise. He was quite glad that Rafael had enjoyed the tug of war game.

He was about to take another bite from his sandwich, when the mood shifted a little. He listened intently to what Rafael was saying and his eyes widened slightly when he mentioned being the captain of the team. "Y-You are?", he asked both surprised and amazed as he glanced at the slightly taller boy. "K-Kyle l-left?", was that hopefulness in the voice of the third year and a smile on his face? Perhaps a little. As soon as he realized so, a look of guilt paired with a wry smile found his face. "S-So you a-are the new C-Captain, huh? I d-didn't even k-know-", he shook his head. "I, uh... I h-heard a-about the g-game b-but I didn't watch i-it, b-because-", he started but interrupted himself, searching Rafael's face. 'I was avoiding the person who I thought was still the Captain'. Was Rafael friends with him? With Kyle? He couldn't imagine that, since Kyle was rude and hot headed. He actually never told anyone what happened between himself and Kyle and honestly didn't think it was of much importance, but it may have given him a slight dislike towards the previous captain. "uh... n-not so i-important", he muttered, forcing a smile as he finally took another bite out of his sandwich, so that he would shut himself up. He didn't want to bother the other kid with the issues he had with Kyle.

When Rafael asked Alan about his take on Quidditch, his first instinct was to call it scary, but then he paused and remembered Willow's game. "It's k-kinda fascinating, y-you know... b-but I don't th-think I will be ever g-good enough", he murmured with a slight shrug. "S-Sometimes I c-can't even get th-the broom t-to go up!", he explained with a helpless shrug as he tucked a strand of loose hair behind his ear. He had half the mind to ask Rafael for advise but remembered the last time he asked someone his position for help and feared that Rafael wouldn't bother to teach him. 'Pathetic...', he sighed softly, staring at the sandwich in his hands.

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Interacting With: @Alan Vanes
Mentioning: Kyle DeRook

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[font=Segoe Print]Alan’s take on Transfigurations was not unlike his own, a small fact that brought the boy a subtle smile as he looked over at his lunching partner, eyes wide in subtle curiosity. Alan didn’t like Transfigurations either? Well, it bloody figured. The class certainly was good-for-nothing, after all. The other boy’s opinions were somewhat reassuring, however, in a strange sort of way, his words sending a jolt of pleasure through the chest of the young Captain as he considered his next words carefully. It seemed as if the Captain’s dislike of the class wasn’t due to his own mental barriers, but rather, due to an idea shared by more than one person presiding at the school of magic. Perhaps he didn’t look as daft as he actually was, then. Good, the last thing he needed was Alan to think him a moron. “No,” he replied to the boy, looking down at his shoes with a wry smile. “A ruddy exhausting class, it is. Hurts the brain. Can’t imagine the difficulty it must take to complete homework for a third year!” His words held excitement, matched with a breath of curiosity. What did a third year Transfigurations class entail? Such thoughts were perplexing, and for a moment, the boy was left to consider what possibilities such a class could entail.

At the sound of Alan’s next words, the child was jolted from his thoughts, eyes wide in excitement as he fully absorbed the words the third year had just uttered. “More games?” he voiced, a grin tugging at his lips. “That’s ruddy amazing! I’ll be sure to check the lot of them out, yeah?” Even the mere concept of spending more time with Alan made the young Gryffindor’s heart squeeze in anticipation. Perhaps the games didn’t even matter, perhaps they never had in the first place, for the very bait that had lured the young Captain over in the first place, had been the presence of an angel. Any excuse to hang out with Alan more often, the boy would gladly take. Even if it meant dealing with more annoying presences such as Sherman and Mulan.

Strangely enough, Alan didn’t look to happy regarding the Captain’s verbal revelation. Rather, his face took on a more wry look, eyes laden with some heavy sort of feeling, a strange smile playing at his beautiful lips. If only the boy could know the cause of such distress – the strange mood shift took ahold of his own facial features, eyebrows furrowing in the slightest as his eyes darkened with concern, a frown pulling at the ends of his lips. “Kyle’s gone, yeah. Had family issues, or something, I can’t properly remember. You okay, mate? Look like you’ve seen a ghost.” It was then that he attempted to scoot up a bit closer, bringing his legs into an Indian-style posture as he gazed upon his lunch partner, a look of utter confusion in his eyes. “Did I, er, say something?”

At the sound of Alan’s next words, a wry grin made its way to his face, though the concern never left his eyes. Alan, not good enough? He humored himself with such a thought for a moment, gazing down at his shoes. “Somehow, I don’t think that’s true, yeah? I mean,” he shrugged, setting his sandwich down for a second so that he could run his hand through his hair, “I don’t know you that well, sure, but you seem like a real ambitious fellow. If your games are anything to go by. Who’s to say you can’t fly?” Smiling a bit brighter, he looked up, raising an eyebrow. “There’s no barrier to possibility, should you try. I mean,” he snickered wryly, “when I first got on a broom? I nearly slip off the end, it was hilarious. Got a laugh out of the whole class, yeah?” It was a lie, well hidden by practiced mannerisms and a warm grin. Alan didn’t have to know. “If I could do it, who’s to say you can’t either?”

An idea came to him right about then – he looked up at the older boy, smile disappearing momentarily, quickly replaced with an inquisitive look. “What if, I don’t know,” he rubbed his neck shortly, channeling some of his inward anxiety, “I could unlock the broom shed sometime, give you a few pointers? That is, if you don’t have a broom. And, should you be interested, of course.” It was then that he would look away, attempting some sort of nervous smile. “I mean, I suppose it would be nice to fly with you, yeah? See if we can give those Hufflepuff flyers a run for their money?” It was an honest offer, surely enough, but no such fact could alleviate the subtle stress that now riddled the Captain’s chest. Was such an offer unusual to make? He hoped not. Perhaps his own hormones had gotten the best of him this time around, had taken control of his tongue and forced him into a terrible act. Would Alan think him weird? It was only a matter time before he found out, he supposed, glancing shortly over at his lunch partner. Steeling his gaze, he picked up his sandwich once more, taking a good-sized bite, as to maintain some sort of semblance of tranquility. What would Alan say? [/font]

@Rafael D'Spacito

The third year nodded with a slight smile, when Rafael promised him that he would check out the other games. He had been a little scared by the fact that Rafael had dropped the rope the other day, assuming that he did not enjoy the game or something. But it was a relief to know that the younger Gryffindor was actually looking forward to playing more games. In his mind he was starting to run possibilities of games he knew and games that could be played. He actually did not know that many, he did not have any friends before going to Hogwarts and it showed in his lack of knowledge on how to waste time with a group of people. Perhaps there were things he could research? Whatever might work but now Alan was determined to play more games in the future.

Alan shook his head when the taller kid worried about having said something wrong. "It's just th-that Kyle and I d-don't h-have the best h-history.." he admitted with a light shrug. He instinctively reached for Tiger, giving the cat some pats as if to distract himself from the sullen mood. He glanced at Rafael and tried to decipher the reaction, giving him a light smile that failed to ignite a spark in his eyes. "It's been a wh-while ago th-though, s-so it's n-not that dramatic; h-he kind of t-tried to blackmail m-me," Alan would begin to explain to the new captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Alan would certainly have to give more information than that, because he did not want Rafael to see Kyle as some kind of a villain, so Alan quickly continued to explain what the deal was. "It w-was not that big o-of a d-deal t-to be honest... I asked h-him if h-he can t-teach m-me how to f-fly, since he i-is the captain a-and all, but h-he said he would o-only do th-that once I p-punch him, wh-which he knew I w-wouldn't do, so it k-kinda s-sucked-".

"He c-could have j-just s-said, if h-he did not w-want t-to, but h-he had t-to make i-it seem l-like I was th-the reason th-that he w-would not teach m-me," Alan explained with a shrug. It felt good to finally talk about it with someone and he was sure that he would face no repercussions whatsoever because Kyle was not even there anymore. He hoped that Rafael now would understand his sudden mood drop however, at the mention of the previous captain.

The story about Rafael nearly falling off a broom was just what he needed for a laugh to bubble up and slip past his lips as he stared and Rafael in awe. "Y-You're n-not being s-serious, a-are you?" he could not help but grin as a bit if color returned to his cheeks at the mental image provided by that explanation. Y-You would r-really t-teach me?," he gasped, eyes widening slightly as he stared at Rafael. He remembered the promise he made to the Flying professor, about how he would show her that he could learn to fly without her help. It's been a long while since he thought about that, but he was willing to giving fulfilling the promise another chance!

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Interacting With: @Alan Vanes
Mentioning: Kyle DeRook

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[font=Segoe Print]At the mention of the old team, Alan had once grown nervous, uncomfortable. Rafael couldn’t have anticipated the old Captain being the source.

Kyle had had issues, that much wasn’t a secret. Being a hormonal werewolf with anger issues and the weight of an entire Quidditch Team on his shoulders, one couldn’t expect any less, after all. And there had been a time when the young Gryffindor had once held a sense of respect for his upperclassmen, likeness between the two. Similarity. Though he’d never met the former Captain, he could tell off the bat that they both matched each other in anger management levels and strategy, as well as drive to see their team succeed. It was strange, how fast one’s opinion of another could change. Now, sitting beside Alan, he couldn’t help but drop his sandwich on the ground, eyes growing wide at the very idea of the action Kyle attempted to make Alan commit. There was nothing wrong with punching someone who deserved it, but trying to force someone to punch someone else? The though made his stomach turn over, his lunch threatening to escape from the confines of his stomach. And making the third year commit such an act, no less – it was in that moment, that Rafael could see Kyle for the, the monster he truly was. His skin crawled with disgust, his facial features hardening in the slightest, eyes growing hard. Justice was beckoning to be served, and Rafael would proudly be its executioner. He swore to himself in that moment, that if he ever saw that damned second year again, he’d break his face.

But that didn’t matter. Not right now, when he was still inhabiting the lovely presence of Alan Vanes. Stifling the raw rage he now felt, he allowed an inkling of the aggravation he felt to leak through his demeanor, voice harsh and unforgiving as he spoke. “Kyle’s a screwed up son of a bitch, then,” he remarked boldly, his jaw tightening. “He never should have done that to you.” It was a genuine remark, backed up by the anger laced in his voice. “I hope you realize that the rest of us Gryffindors are nothing like that. Our team is dedicated to helping others, especially those who want to learn to fly. Like you.” Then, his harsh gaze slipping into a softer one, he allowed a small smile to play on his lips, chin cocking up. “It would be my honor to teach you how to fly,” he told his acquaintance, every bit of genuity he could muster now in his voice. “I have every faith that you’ll be amazing in the air! Who am I, as a reasonable human being, to deny the Gryffindor Team a player like you?” He was joking, messing around now, but that wasn’t to say that his remark was in distaste. Though, he had never seen Alan in the air before, he was a strong believer in practice makes perfect. And Alan didn’t strike him as the person who gave up. [/font]

The third year had not expected at all what happened next, he had not been able to foretell the signs of rising anger in the other boy and it came as a shock to Alan when the taller kid angrily expressed what was on his mind. It had seemed so suddenly and reminded him of how the tug of war had ended. Signs of concern were written over the third years face now as he turned to speak to Rafael. "D-Don't worry i-it's been a while already a-and I'm fine!", he quickly explained.

When the first year went on to defend the honor of his team, Alan would chuckle softly as his the concern melted away. "I don't d-doubt that, I'm sure th-the team is great!" Alan just hoped that the other kid would calm down again and wondered what it was that had made him this angry all of a sudden. Not only this time but also when he went to tackle Zyk; perhaps it was just the way the other kid was? Alan sighed as he stretched himself exhausted from the school day already. His gaze caught the sandwich that had fallen to the ground thanks to gravity and shook his head slightly. He took his own sandwich and divided it in halves by breaking and ripping it in one go, making a few crumbs fall to the ground. He would offer the half he had not eaten from yet to the first year and smiled lightly. "You can h-have some of this, if you please?"

"I will l-look forward t-to s-some flying lessons th-then!" he affirmed their deal with a nod. If Rafael takes the half of the sandwich Alan had offered to him, the third year would grin slightly before taking another bite out of the half he was holding in his own hands. "S-Some other kid taught me some b-basics a while ago, b-but we never actually flew," he explained to the captain of his own team after he had swallowed the bit of bread and had his mouth free.

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Interacting With: @Alan Vanes
Mentioning: Kyle Derook

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[font=Segoe Print]"D-Don't worry i-it's been a while already a-and I'm fine!" Why didn’t Alan’s concession help?

Rafael was still pouting, his bottom lip puffed out and eyebrows furrowed as he clutched his honor between crossed arms, looking much like a child in time-out. It was rather disappointing, to hear Alan speak of anyone in Gryffindor abusing their power. Disgraceful, embarrassing, the word may change but the meaning remained the same – the role of Captain now felt dirty, tainted by the weight of Kyle’s past actions, both the ones the Captain was aware of, and those he wasn’t. Sure, Alan had seemed to brush the problem off as if it was nothing, but how much did the opinions of one person matter? If the Gryffindor Captaincy had a bad reputation, then Rafael would do well to cleanse the title of any shame its past bearers had put upon it. For the sakes of all who had once used it, and for all those who would in the future. Alan would be the first one to receive the benefits of the relapse.

“Yeah,” the boy would mutter absently, his gaze slipping down to his ant-infested sandwich – damn, they hadn’t waited for a second, had they? “I guess.” He really didn’t have much more to say about the matter, as… well, there weren’t enough words in the world to fix the wrongdoing committed by the past leader. Only action would restore honor. Besides, he would be quickly distracted by Alan’s kindly words – his lips tightened upwards in a gentle smile, and he would chuckle, his eyes fluttering downwards towards his dirty sneakers, absently prodding the sandwich he had dropped like the curious eleven year old he was. “I’m glad you think so. Will be even better, though, with you on it someday. If you’re even interested in playing for the team, that is!” A small, absent offer, but still valid to the upperclassman. He could never pull the strings and kick someone off the team, but should an opening come, he would be eager to point to his third-year crush when filling the gap, if not his best friend Ana.

He would consider this for a moment, before recognizing Alan’s offer – sharing his lunch? Would it be rude, to accept? The Captain’s stomach rumbled in protest – it seemed as if he wasn’t being given a choice. Oh well, any gift from Alan was a gift he would proudly accept. He would offer Alan a warm smile as he gently took the sandwich half into his own hands, raising it towards his lips for a bite. Then, chewing carefully, “thanks, mate,” he would utter through a full mouth. “You’re a real hero.” He would rub his neck with his free hand, his smile never leaving as the when the upperclassmen mentioned being excited about lessons – and his eyes would widen upon hearing of another helper. Who was this person, that dared help Alan before him? “Oh, yeah?” he would ask, his eyebrow raised as a grin came over his face. “If I may ask – who was this person?” [/font]