The Day the World Stops (Solo RP)

[Leala]

Aureli sat on her bed and stared out the window. She was so glad today was a free day. Today marked the second anniversary of her mother's death. It was only a little easier than the first anniversary, but it was certainly easier than the day she died. On a day like this, she'd likely spend it with Narie, nattering on about whatever came to mind. But she had told her friend that today, she'd like to spend her time alone. Now that she was, she wasn't sure what to do with herself. She hated doing nothing, but she knew that if she tried to involve herself in something, she'd wind up causing a terrible scene.

 

Aureli's mother had been her role model all her life. She had run the inn with her father, equally, and with an iron fist. And before she died, she had told Aureli about her dealings with Aes Sedai, a dangerous thing to be involved in when one lived in Tear. That danger had found her. She realized after coming to the Tower, that they were lucky that the assassin didn't kill all of them. It didn't make her mother's death any less difficult to death with, though.

 

The sky was gray, but it wasn't raining. It was just on the verge of it. "It's thinking about raining," her mother would have said. Aureli was left with nothing of her former life. Even the ribbons she had brought had been replaced with the white ones she wore when she could get help from someone. Getting help from someone at home would have been difficult now. With her mother gone, her father didn't know how to tie up hair, and the boys would likely play some sort of prank on her. The girls working there liked to help, but they made her feel like a helpless child. Now, she had friends in the same situation as her to help when she needed to do something with both hands. Her mother tied her hair when she asked, but never made a fuss about it. She made Aureli feel capable. Likely, without her parents' support as she had had it growing up, Aureli would be a bawling slip of a thing like most of the novices here. But instead, she knew how to conduct herself and knew when to accept help when she needed it, rather than stubbornly refuse it.

 

Outside her door, she heard her fellow novices running and giggling to each other. She had found herself giggling with them more than she had ever thought she would. Novices were at the bottom of the hierarchy in the White Tower, but they were in the bottom together. So, she giggled and chatted with them. She participated in a prank or two. She'd howl when switched when they were caught. She'd giggled even more when they weren't. When they weren't caught, it always felt like a triumph. As if she was delivering news to her mother or Eiselle Sedai from the inn. It felt like she had a voice where she normally didn't. At the beginning, that lack of voice had hurt, but she saw the reason in it now. Novices really were children in the One Power. If they had a voice, they wouldn't know what to do with it. So, she waited patiently with everyone else and tried to find something to fill the time. Being a novice was hard work with little where else to go, but they all knew where it would lead some day. After working in the Power for so long, Aes Sedai were beginning to weed out those that wouldn't even be raised to Accepted. Aureli had felt such relief when she wasn't one of those.

 

She felt like her family would be proud to know that she would one day be sealed to the White Tower. She could see her mother's beaming face and feel her father's warm embrace. Her brothers would likely make fun of her while feeling some sort of confusion and awe at the same time. Of course, her father would have a time explaining why Aes Sedai were not well liked in Tear and that they should probably not spread that news around. Aureli suddenly wished novices were allowed time with their family like Accepted.

 

She thought for a moment how her father and brothers were doing at home. Had they abandoned the inn? If so, then it would likely be bought by another eyes-and-ears of the Grays. Did her father ever re-marry? She hoped not. Her mother was very good at keeping her father in line. Then, if he hadn't, would he go back to his old ways of drinking and skirt-chasing? With a pair of rambunctious twins? Not likely. Aureli chuckled, but her throat felt tight. How long had she been crying? She wished she could at least go to her mother's favorite places to say hello. Or at least visit her grave. Perhaps the best she could do today was stare at the clouds and wish that it would rain. She'd feel better about staying cloistered in her room if it would only rain.

 

If it rained, she could sit in her room with her memories until it grew dark. She wouldn't have to pretend she was okay. She wouldn't have to laugh when she felt like crying. She wouldn't have to meet new people. She could sit and think of her mother without anyone thinking twice about her absence.

 

She heard her mother's voice loud and clear in her mind, "Making excuses for yourself is no excuse!" Sighing, her nose feeling swollen, she stood up. Looking in her mirror, she saw the effects of her tears. Her nose was red, her eyes looked as if someone had punched them, and her mouth was in a pout. Taking in a deep breath, she pushed her tears to the side and decided she would enjoy today for her mother's sake. Picking up a rag, she dipped it in her basin's water and began to dab at her face. When it felt less sticky and cleaner than before, she left to go find Narie. Maybe she wsn't too busy.