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On freezing cold, snowy days the best place to be was in Destiny City's largest bookstore, happily curled up in one of their faux leather chairs and reading the pile of books sticking out from a reusable cloth bag, the name of the store emblazoned proudly on it. Some people were lazing about, reading the pristine books for free. Eilian was not one of these people. Instead, she bought every single romance novel that crossed her as interesting, and spent as much time as she could squeeze into her schedule plumbing their forbidden depths.

Pausing at this thought, the pigtailed teen whipped her Blackberry out of a deep jacket pocket and quickly typed in the phrase 'plumbing her forbidden depths'. It would be absolutely perfect for her latest novel! Even thinking about the spicy romance between the cunning rogue lord and his stolen princess made her cheeks pink up and her eyes shine.

Sighing dreamily, the Crystal student took one look at the pile, and decided it simply was not big enough. A quick check to her Blackberry confirmed that yes, this block of the afternoon was quite free, and then she had a date with her novel after dinner. Since coming to Destiny City, the young woman had quite a bit of free time, save her personal pursuits.

So it was with a bit of spring in her step, that she gathered up her bag and headed back into the jungle of books, making a beeline for the most interesting subject of all - romance.

Eilian nearly got a face full of ribbon and braid as she stopped suddenly, her pigtails swinging forward with the inertia of her movement. There was actually someone under the age of thirty five in the romance section?! This was immediately cause for high-rising joy in the young woman. The hints of powder blue peeking from under the winter gear was also something worth notice, for it indicated that perhaps this girl went to Crystal Academy as well?

Cheeks still pink with excitement, Eilian perused the shelves quickly, and picked up one that she had enjoyed heavily the week before. The man on the cover was well-oiled, dashing, and greedily grasping at a young woman that would make any buxom wannabe jealous. "This one, you should try this one!" She all but shoved herself into the other girl's personal space, holding the book out in front of her eyes. It was titled appropriately, Pirate of Passion. And indeed, the dashing hero on the cover had a patch over his blue orbs that were radiating passion over the heroine like the Chernobyl accident. Hopefully this girl wasn't just shopping for her mother!

Pursing her lips, Eilian's slim and manicured hand picked up the alternate book in question and skimmed the back. "Renaissance, huh? Well I guess it depends on your time periods. This one's more Imperialist than Tudor, really. Lots of cravats flying about, that sort of thing." But it did sound intriguing. Hmm. Checking the shelf to make sure there was more than one copy, because it'd be absolutely rude to take one the girl was considering, she put the other book in her bag.

"Oh, and right!" Introductions! Yes, those always did wonders, didn't they? "I'm Eilian Halpan. I guess we just haven't run into each other up at Crystal's yet." Her British accent was softer than the usual clip, slightly more musical. "That's not strange though, I've only been there a few weeks myself. You should stop by my room sometime, I have a veritable library to pick through! The selection the school has is decidedly archaic." And microscopic at best. Eilian had picked through it in her first month at the Academy, and she had a fairly full schedule those first weeks!

"Your parents don't approve of your literary choices?" A look of sad disapproval came onto the teen's face. It was tragic, when people couldn't enjoy the stories and the fantasy of it all! Thankfully her daddy didn't care what she read, as long as she didn't get too carried away. And indeed, sometimes there was only an hour after lunch for reading. But she used that hour to its fullest!

Wryly, Eilian shook her pigtails with a look of exasperated love on her face. "I think my dad's quite too used to my mum to be concerned with money management. That, and I'm quite the youngest. He has Riordan to manage the business, and failing that, there's James and Kelley." She named off her older two brothers, and sister with that same affection. "They're all quite well-educated, responsible young businesspeople. I'm the musical one." Rolling her eyes, she lightly fingered out an air lute.

Pausing for a moment, she plucked three others off the shelf. A Night to Remember, Rebellion, and Beloved. None of them shared authors, and had different approaches to the subject of romance. "Have you read any of these, perchance?" The third shared the same author as the first, but was not at all the same book. "Medeiros is usually my favorite, but Roberts has some good settings. I think she writes on a bit of a template, however." Teal eyes sparkled with delight at having someone to discuss such matters with.

"All good choices, however!"

Proudly, and almost comically, the pigtailed girl fingered an air chord and strummed peacefully on an air lute. "Sing, dance, and play dinosaur instruments. That is, things like the lute. Instruments almost nobody but scholars have ever heard of, and care little about. Yet another thing daddy insists on!" But her smile still remained as Eilian perused the shelves sharply for titles.

"Author? Easier to find that way, if the series isn't labelled on the spine." Continuing on her thought, she beamed. "I'm more of a Broadway sort of girl myself, which is why I go to Crystal's. Their theater connections are unrivaled, really, and that's just what I need. Again, it also makes daddy quite happy. We're Welsh, so it's important that we 'remember our roots' or somesuch. I think daddy is a bit silly." Nodding almost to herself, Eilian beamed at Elke.

"Are you in the arts at all? I know the school does cater to all students, but their arts programs are the strongest." Not that it mattered. Any pursuit was a good one, in her mind.

Thinking of someone actually listening to her mini-recitals of dead instruments stirred the performer's blood in Eilian, and if she'd been a little less of a restrained girl she would have hugged the other girl. "I'd love to! I practice every night, though it wouldn't hurt to play a few things other than the current pieces I'm working on if you stopped by. Depends on what you're interested in, as I rotate. Can't really break that schedule, but if you like you can come by whenever!"

Leaning, she lightly inspected the cover that Elke was holding before grinning almost sheepishly and holding up the bag stuffed with more than a baker's dozen worth of romance novels. "I think I found what I was looking for and more. Especially since I've had less and less time to read lately thanks to this uh...new thing I'm doing." Passing over that quickly, for how did you explain patrolling the city for monsters without blowing your cover?, she started to walk out of the stacks.

"I think it sounds great though, speaking languages. I am mildly good at Welsh, since again, it was thought we should all learn it. There are some pockets back home where they mainly speak it, but almost everyone knows English. Something about how businessmen feel more comfortable? Really not my thing. Do you speak any Welsh?" Straight for the register, before any more trouble could be drummed up. As it was, this was perhaps going to be one of her more expensive trips lately. Idly, she again wished she owned her own store.

Apparently, even more than decent wealth only went so far!

Beaming, Eilian quickly paid for her books and tore off part of the receipt. Writing with a loopy flourish she pulled the book from the top pile, tucked the receipt inside, and handed it to Elke. "Here, consider it your first loan! Inside is the number to my Blackberry, and my dorm room. Make sure you stop by to return the book! We can work on the Welsh, my father will be incredibly pleased to know I'm teaching my mother tongue."

Perhaps even pleased enough to increase her allowance! Not that she really needed it, but Eilian generally had grand dreams of taking out the entire school for dinner one night. Very grand dreams.

Almost as if on-cue, her pocket chimed merrily and the pigtailed girl all but jumped out of her loafers to pull the slim Blackberry from her pocket. She paled a bit, gathered up the bag with her things, and started to turn away before remembering herself. "Oh! Sorry, I'm almost going to be late for my next appointment! Kinda ran over here, please come by soon? I was so pleased to meet you!" A quick handshake, and a dash towards the door. Nothing new for Eilian Halpan!