Rory's Celebratory Bash Part One! [OPEN!]

[Sam]

Her eyes opened, twin slashes in the darkness, expanding to silver ovals capturing the moonlight. Two hands, with slender fingers, rubbed those eyes furiously. She yawned and then sat up, continuing to rub her eyes. She'd be sorry later, but now it felt great. A few stretches later and she was standing in the darkness, pursing her lips and selecting appropriate clothing. It was several hours passed midnight to Rory's reckoning; high time to get up.

 

She glanced across the room to the other bed and its sleeping occupant (not for long!), still asleep. Good. This had to be done with the utmost delicacy and subtlety, or she simply wouldn't go for it, and Rory was not strong enough to do it alone, much to her chagrin. No. It was necessary that she had a willing partner in crime, and therefore she would be very, very, insidious....

 

A short jump placed her standing on top of the bed, and from there dropped down to straddle the sleeping form.   "Saline, baby, I need a favour." Quickly fashioning a light from saidar, she waited until Saline ran her hands through her hair and opened her eyes, however, blearily. "Good morning precious, look, it's time to get up!" Rory pointed to the small globe. "The Sun is up!"

 

Saline's eyes widened and she sat up so quickly as to almost depose herself of Rory's physical company, until she realised other than the small globe and its light the rest of the room was still bathed in darkness, at which point she rolled her eyes, groaned and lay back down.

 

Rory peered down at her, "No, no, no precious, I need your help!"

 

Saline's answer was an unintelligible string of noises.

 

"Good enough for me!" With that, Rory leaned down, kissed Saline full on the mouth and jumped off the bed. She gave Saline a further ten seconds before flinging her bedding aside, grabbing her by the ankles and yanking her clean out of her bed. "You may want to put some clothes on, and hurry, games are afoot!"

 

 

Meanwhile, the unsuspecting accomplice slept. It was a heavy sleep that she threw herself into with the heartiness of one who craved sleep. An epic attempt, no doubt, had it not been cut… 

 

She could not breathe. One dark eye popped open from the pressure, espied a Rory shape, and closed itself. Despite the stuffiness, it remained closed, exploring the redness inside her lids. Funny, that wasn't there before. Nor was the weight on her chest. Oh, she knew her pixie of a roommate was sitting there, her legs squeezing the air out, but could not bring herself to move. If Rory wanted to share Saline's bed, fine; it was not worth arguing over. She tried to roll over, ignoring the other straddling her. Unfortunately Rory kept calling her name, and Saline reached out as if to swat the girl away, but her reach fell short of its mark. Sweeping a quick hand through her curls, she had to settle for glaring at the other… and the sunlight beyond her. Dear light, how she overslept!

 

The shorter woman shot up, and her heart kept going. She gasped as her hips bucked, almost dislodging Rory – alas! the other's weight consisted mostly of muscles. The startled Accepted immediately groaned as her head swam. Her vision went black except for the light centered in her gaze. It was pretty, and reminded her of the captured lights they used to do in Intermediate weaves. Her teacher had not liked her being late; none of them did. And Saline was sure, sure that Lyssa would be disappointed in her this morning. Fervently hoping she did not miss her scimitar exercises (for unlike Rory, she actually needed to get in shape), she tried to see the time from her bed. The hand of the clock on the mantel was fuzzy, mainly as her vision remained dark. She groaned again as she looked at the light washing … only the space where Rory resided.

 

Rory's eyes seemed ever so large as they danced, alit; Saline's rolled when she realised how easily she had been duped. Rory was pretty, but not enough to catch her attention. She would never budge from the bed until she was ready, not until dawn, no matter how Rory begged. No, she was determined not to fall for any tricks again. Her mind drifted as she tried to communicate this to Rory, or rather she mumbled strange sounds through the shroud of sleep. They did not make sense, even to Saline. So tired, she thought as she tried to go back to sleep.

 

Then the impossible happened. Rory kissed her, effectively banishing any further notions of sleeping. When she realised what happened, she nearly screamed from the frustration. She would have, if she were not such a heavy sleeper.

 

Saline sat, waist deep in sheets, confused, tired, and ready to cry at the way she had been violated. She had worked hard during the day, both of them had, and hard working women deserve some sleep, do they not? Wondering wherever did the Illianer get so much energy, Saline blinked as the other lunged toward her and reached... Ouch!

 

This, was too much. Books slid as Saline Wastrel cried out. She rose from the pyre of crumpled bedcovers and landed on the floor, a frumpy peacock topped with mussed curls. Saline stared stupidly at her roommate for a moment, and then walked to the other side of their room. She needed to wake up, and there was just one way to do it.

 

Saline fended off Rory's fingers as she assessed the basin. The water had frozen, she knew because she tested it. Withdrawing her hand, she lowered her face in before it came out again, scarlet and shaking droplets everywhere. Okay, less groggy now. Rory had danced out of her reach by then. She peered at the clock, then down at her wet shift.

 

"Games?" Her voice cracked in that forbidding way that only people woken prematurely would know. Rory was undeterred, for she and Saline's other roommates had become accustomed to the Taraboner's love of sleep. Rory's predecessors had resorted to pinching her awake in the mornings, but this hour was too unearthly to be awake."Rory, you know I'd love to play with you but this woman needs her beauty sleep."

 

Her gaze took in Rory. The Illianer's eyes glinted as the devilish creatures behind them thought of some dauntingly clever thing. So, I'll be better company in the morning?" Saline concluded, weakly.

 

 

Rory considered Saline for a moment, wearing naught but a shift, water dripping through her hair and down her face. She was pretty, but not enough to catch Rory's attention, either. Odd that she would add that last part, but she couldn't quite quash the feeling that Saline had been thinking that very same thing about her but minutes earlier. It was therefore highly likely that the entire thought from Rory was nothing more than retaliatory action against Saline's alleged one.

 

She averted her gaze quickly, feeling a moment of sympathy for that indecently clothed roommate of hers. Rory herself had been too embarrassed to leave her room the first time she had found the undergarment waiting with her dress. Surely a place as sophisticated as the White Tower could develop underclothes more in keeping with public decency. What about strong breezes? One was almost too afraid to step outside, and what about stairs?

 

 

Saline was standing silent and bleary like a touched child and that simply wouldn't do at all. Rory knew she was tired, Saline was always tired. It was merely what one came to expect. She did share one thing in common with Rory, if to a stronger degree. The invasion of one's personal space was a definite no-no without express invitation. Well. Rory was open to convincing. Perhaps a small reminder of her precarious position would speed her mentor up! Did Rory just refer to Saline as her mentor still? Why yes she did.

 

 

Rory menaced—what other way was there to describe it?—her way towards Saline, who leapt backwards to avoid the advance. Sadly the only thing in that direction was the sink and her eyes grew very round when she realised there was no escape. It was true, Rory could be unpredictable, which she heartily displayed by wrapping her arms around Saline's soft waist, looked her in the eye and began to loosen her shift: "You be doing this yourself, or should I continue?"

 

After Saline had climbed down out of the sink and changed into not only a dry shift but her dress as well—amazing how quickly the woman could move with a little inspiration. Rory was very pleased with herself, to say the least—Rory grabbed her hand and dragged her out the door behind her, her voice a low hiss. "Quick! Estel Sedai do be expecting us!"

 

 

Snap.

 

Worrying her curls back and clipping it crisply with a band, she unhooked her chemise with haste as she could, digits all thumbs, before Rory could take over. Of course, Rory's eyes were not on her, she would have felt them studying her, but they could be. That made her scramble. Flushing, she pulled the cotton dress overtop, in through where the arms were supposed to go, and struggled before her head popped through. The bodice of her Accepted top stretched across her shoulders, unlike the loose shift she just shed. After hanging the shift, Saline smoothed the fabric down her thighs, shivering as she felt its softness on her.

 

Decent once more, Saline turned to her roommate, who paid Saline courtesy in averting her eyes. Saline remembered how reluctantly Rory wore an issued dress when she first came to the Tower years ago, preferring her fashionable tunic over tights combination. It was not an unusual condition for the women here, quite a few initiates loathed the white dresses; her latest student, Tirzah Behen had taken to wearing boy's clothes. Rory would like the Behen twins, came the unbidden thought, which made Saline smile. As easy to dirty as they were hard to clean, Novice dresses were the cause of many a headache to Mentors and students alike, and for Saline, who lived with the Tinkers before, her students' aversion in wearing white was easy to relate. Saline herself thought the dresses suited her colouring poorly, and besides, there was already a White Ajah (won't it be better if they all wore purple or something warmer, more flattering?), but looks and technicalities weren't important. So long as one kept clean, ate well, and exercised, all was well.

 

She had just enough time to dry wash her face once more, before Rory's hands captured her. Saline permitted herself to be dragged out, watching with lazy eyes the tanned arms that had encircled her waist and sent her to flight minutes ago. Rory had a gift for drawing people out, so that they would have fun. Around Rory, anything seemed possible. However, the Tower, to which Saline was bound, did not have the same definition for fun. The blood in Saline's face drained when Rory said they were going to see Estel Sedai.

 

"Not her wall Rory, I forbid it. Estel Sedai's not expecting a hole there." Saline thought she knew what was going on. But Rory only shook her head and said...

 

 

"Hush. Estel and I do be getting along fine now. That was an unfortunate misunderstanding. And now she do be helping us tonight. All of us." The winding passages of the White Tower unfolded behind her eyes; she knew which way to go, and which routes were favoured by the sisters of truancy watch. The halls never ceased to intimidate her though, not from her first mad flight in an attempt to flee.

 

This night was special. It had taken months of painful preparation and planning. Nothing could spoil it. Her only regret was that Lillian Sed—Lillian could not be part of it, too, but she wouldn't hold it against her, Lillian was a sister now, and she had duties to attend to. Rory couldn't wait to see the expression on her face.

 

Saline was with her, and that was more than enough. Without thinking she gave the hand within her own a quick squeeze. Had it not been for friends, Rory would never have succeeded in grasping the source. She would have burnt herself out, not through surrendering too much, but through frustration. Were it not for friends she would have remained trapped within the arches at the time of her acceptance. The thought was accompanied by another reflexive squeeze.

 

Rory heard a noise threw Saline into a doorway, pressing them both against the rough oak. Footfalls and a soft light moved swiftly down an adjacent corridor. Rory kept herself against Saline, scarcely daring to breathe; enjoying Saline's elevated heart rate. One quick glint, a gin of hidden mischief and Rory's hands were gently curling ringlets into her old mentor's hair. "If you do be enjoying this so much, I promise we can continue later! Come on!" She grabbed Saline's hand once more and set off through the halls again.

 

 

Soft slippers filled the grooves along the way, and her poor heart was melting with each step they took. Sensing Saline's fear, Rory squeezed, her long fingers twining Saline's tighter.   Saline could not see the Illianer's face in the dark as they moved together, but knew Rory was smiling. The smile was in her bouncy steps as she led Saline, as they danced the elaborate pattern of the halls, avoiding the lit areas where Sisters patrolled. Saline had acquired a fair number of curfew incidents when she first gained acceptance, and as expected over the years, the many months of unpleasantness should have deterred further violations.

 

Older, but no more wise, the Taraboner quivered as she mistook the drumming of her heart for footfalls. She made no attempt to free her hand from Rory's as they navigated through their quarters, a fair distance along a corridor where the Novices slept, and down a long flight of stairs. On those very stairs Rory had fallen, the first time she tried to run away. That memorable debut roamed Saline's mind all too freely as they picked up their skirts with their free hand, trying not to rustle. They descended the stairs carefully, watching each step. It was narrow enough, and dangerous considering how her roommate had knocked Estel unconscious when she pushed the Aes Sedai out of the way.

 

Stranger and stranger. Saline was awed by how drastically Rory's perspective had changed, and hers as well. Saline liked Rory, but she was at a loss how she was to interact with her student, so she ran away from Rory instead. Funny enough she first realised what was happening here, during Estel Sedai's punishment for the Mentor-Mentee pair. In this very lobby through the Blue Ajah quarter Saline admitted to herself that she neglected Rory. It had taken some effort for her to communicate her intent on helping Rory, but all in all they had helped each other. Rory helped Saline improve herself, and over the years, brought many significant memories for them to share. She remembered the pride, the concern, and the happiness that overwhelmed her when her student went into her testing, and returned to Saline, stronger than ever. 

 

Arms stronger than they looked whisked her out of sight, and she melted into that embrace, feeling Rory's lithe body press against her. Forcing herself to breathe she watched, wide-eyed as Rory released her hand, slender fingers twining into Saline's hair. Her heart was beating faster, curse it. It did not beat out of fear; that had dissipated, replaced by a warm surge of excitement. She did not smile though; Rory was, playfully. Instead, Saline wormed her hand out of Rory's firm grasp to give her roommate a squeeze, a subtle show of her support. 

 

So Saline, while not entirely happy, peered curiously as Rory slipped into the Blue's Quarters. A gesture told her to follow, which she did, swiftly. She was committed to Rory, and she intended to be.

 

 

 

Saline & Rory!

 

OOC: So ... basically I'm thinking this thread just has us all making our way to Estel's Study, and we'll do the pranking on another so it doesn't congest? I don't really know. I'm open to suggestions!

Sign ups

 

[Siemba]

Sial Daemoa wondered what on earth she was doing as she peered around the corner at the two Accepted that were lurking around the Blue Ajah quarters. More importantly, she wondered what they were doing. It was dark still-no one in their right mind would be awake, especially not anyone in a white dress. Of course, Sial herself, a novice of three months, was awake but that was beside the point.

 

The Cairheinin 19 year old watched as one, then the other slipped into the Blue Quarters. What were they doing? It was past midnight, for Lights sake! Sial rolled a loose white sleeve back onto her shoulder to match its partner and looked at where the Accepted had gone, frowning slightly. She herself was ony awake by...well...not chance. She had just happened to spot a crate of live chickens being delivered while on kitchen duty early that morning, prior to her lesson with Lillian Sedai, so she had woken up now, when there would be less people around, to visit them and perhaps to releive the kitchen staff of them. She had no real use for chickens, especially not in her tiny novice room (thankfully to herself, sofar) but old habits died hard. Besides, she had always had cats around at home. The chickens might have made good pets. She looked slightly ruefully after the Accepted. Now she had seen them, she felt that she should follow them. Anything out of the ordinary made her want to investigate. Accepted were not merchants so she could hardly sell the infomation of their doings to other Accepted, but that was a habit too.

 

Sial fiddled with the end of her soft dark plait, unnoticing of her hairs flyaway scruffiness. In the dark, it looked darker, as did her eyes and black eyebrows, which made her pale skin look almost white. In her novice dress, the black and white contrast could have been dramatic but Sials slouch and the scowl to her expression spoiled any potential affect and left her looking like what she was; a chimney sweeps daughter lurking in a ledgendary Tower. If I go get the chickens, Im more likely to get caught she reasoned in her head. Whats the worst that will happen in I follow those two? They might get pissed off but I can always lie and if I dont go I'll spend all tomorrow wondering. Though the chickens...I could have done with a couple of spare feathers, my bloody pillow feels like a reedmat...

 

Bleeding Accepted, out in the middle of the bloody night, cant sleep like normal people...Sial muttered under her breath, making up for her precise little accent with the enthusiasm she put into her curses. She had never visited the Blue Quarters-she wasnt sure if Novices were even allowed-and she had no idea who the Accepted were. Still...

 

Sial threw up her hands and followed the two Accepted, trying to keep back but not look suspicious at the same time, and entered the Blue Quarters.

 

Sial Daemoa

Novice

 

OOC: Hope you dont mind me butting in-feel free to hit me if Im messing up your plans ;D

[Guest Estel]

It was fortunate for all sides that Rory had decided to come to Estel before crowding an entire population of Novices and Accepted into her cramped quarters.  In fact, sleeping Estel’s mind was contentedly running through the scenarios.  In the first dream, she imagined waking up with Rory’s bright eyes before her and then watching them explode like dropped melons as she woke in a vindictive fury…  Cleaning that up hadn’t been particularly pleasant, but like all dreams, things didn’t need to necessarily make sense and out of nowhere Rossa showed up to finish wiping eye gunk from the carpet.

 

Next dream was particularly more embarrassing on Estel’s part and dealt mainly with the fact that in this dream the Blue hadn’t known Rory and the better part of the White Tower’s initiates would crowd into her room and hadn’t sent Orion accordingly.  Rather than Rory’s head exploding like an overcooked…- Estel’s lack of culinary knowledge prevented her from finishing the phrase- rather Estel’s face overheated and actually took flame…

 

The feeling of her own skin peeling back from her face, disturbingly reminiscent of the fireball that had killed her first Warder, was interrupted by the same bright eyes she had seen twice already.

 

She groaned and rolled over in bed.

[Sam]

Estel Sedai: in a very unflattering but terribly appropriate way, Rory likened her to a trained circus animal. Namely, (or videlicet) one of the large carnivorous variety that eventually, despite all of their training would take someone’s arm off at that annoying impractical and unforeseen moment where it was likely to do the most damage.  Estel Sedai knew she was coming, in a sense, new she’d have “friends” with her, to a degree, but there was no telling just what kind of reaction their might be.

 

The plan, plot, coup de main, nasty little prank, whatever you wanted to call it, did not hinge on Estel Sedai’s participation, which was just as well. On the other hand, she had more power than the combined novice contingent and more skill than all others present combined. Strength and skill did not translate to “pivotal” and “crucial” but it did rather come to mean “bloody handy” where Rory was concerned and given  the plans Rory had, err, that is to say: the plans Rory and her friends had, yes, much better—well it would be nice to have a little experience.

 

The plan was simple, they would all meet in Estel’s room, and from there they would break up into groups, or go their separate ways or whatever it is each individual Novice or Accepted felt the need to be doing at the late—or early—hour, providing it caused an absolute menace to the tower as a whole. Rory, whose headline act would be to fuse some classroom contents to the ceiling, would need Saline for that.

 

More and more Novice and Accepted entered the room, including some that Rory was quite certain she had overlooked, and others who had been overlooked in a less than accidental fashion. Well, it was too late to worry about that now. Time to get the show started, and in order for that to happen Estel would need to get out of bed. The sooner the better.

 

“Wakey, wakey, Estel Sedai. It do be time for you to rise and shine.” Shine was an optimistic assessment. The sun was closer to going down than it was to coming up, “we do be needing to hurry. You do be noticing I’ve bought a few of the girls.” Her eyes roved the troop, totalling a touch over a baker’s dozen, then whispered quietly, “And others I no do be inviting at all. This do be your chase to break even with your sisters, yes. Let’s go!”

 

Rory then turned to the other Novices and Accepted present, forgetting for a time that Saline’s hand was still clasped firmly within her own, “Good morning, ladies, I do be hoping you be having enough sleep for the night. It do be time for us to strike back at our ... tyrannical oppressors! Yes, let them do be feeling the wrath of our gathered ... ah ... vengeance!”

 

“So long as nobody do be getting hurt, I no do be caring what you decide to get up to. You can go by yourselves, or in groups, I no do be caring, but if you get caught you do be on your own! Do there be any questions? If not, then let’s get cracking!”

 

[Siemba]

It was the middle of the night, way past the 9pm Novice curfew. It was the middle of the night and yet the Blue quarters of the White Tower was flooded with women in white dresses. Well, perhaps flooded was an exaggeration-there couldnt be more than 20- but it still could have been a funeral party with the amount of white were it not for the amount of conspiratal whisperings and muted giggling. It didnt take a genius to work out the drift of what was going on and Sial was hardly stupid. The Novice had been more than surprised to find such a lot of other Novices out at night in one place. And horified-horrified that she had somehow missed hearing about this. It wasnt so much that she was offended; she had made no particular friends yet amongst the other Novices  and so did not feel left out exactly. It was that she prided herself on ratting out infomation. If I only found this by chance, how many other events have I missed?

 

Sial tagged onto the back of the group, trying to be inconspicuous. An Accepted-one of the ones she had followed in-faced the others, her air of command slightly dampened by the fact that she was holding a friends hand. A "friend"-Sial tried not to flush and changed her line of thought. There were some things that were to be kept behind closed doors and were no one elses business. Assuming that was the case, of course...feeling her pale cheeks starting to colour, she scowled to herself and listened to what the Accepted was talking about.

 

“Good morning, ladies!" the woman in the banded dress announced in a very Illian accent. She was not short but then Sials 5'4" saw most people as tall regardless of how they measured up to the non-Cairheinin world. The Accepteds hair was curled and brown, a much richer shade than Sials own and considerably less scruffy. She was freckled too but hers were more noticable than Sials own and while Sial hated her freckles, barely there though they were, the Accepteds made her seem pretty and slightly mischievious rather than making her look like she had some sort of horrible pox.

 

"I do be hoping you be having enough sleep for the night. It do be time for us to strike back at our ... tyrannical oppressors! Yes, let them do be feeling the wrath of our gathered ... ah ... vengeance!” Ah. So its a rebellion. A rebellion of Novices and Accepted? These few against a whole bloody Tower? Light, even if they are the strongest channelers in the Tower, theyll get trampled under numbers! And planning a rebellion in an Ajah! They must be bleeding mad! What are they planning to do, break a few vases and burn a few books? Theres no hope in hell that this lot could take down the Tower. They really must be mad! If they honestly think Aes Sedai are that feeble, Im getting out of here right now and telling someone theres a rebellion. Im not getting bloody crushed, no sir!

 

The Accepted was not finished yet. “So long as nobody do be getting hurt, I no do be caring what you decide to get up to. You can go by yourselves, or in groups, I no do be caring, but if you get caught you do be on your own! Do there be any questions? If not, then let’s get cracking!” Sial breathed a sigh of relief. She wasnt mixed up in a rebellion, then. More of an organised...an organised what? Organised trouble? It was still madness...this many would get caught...still...

 

Wouldnt it be fun? a wicked little voice whispered in Sials mind. A chance to do whatever you feel like. If you are going to get in trouble, why not go the whole hog?

 

Ive got no one I hate here, not really reason argued back in her head. The Novices havent really spoken to me, let alone the Accepted, so I can hardly hate them. Eqwina Sedai may have been miserable but she gave me a horse and Lillian Sedai may make me do stupid things but she lets me get away with stuff too.

 

Of course, as was usually the case, the Voice of Reason was crammed into a box and stamped on while the Voice of Badness ran amok. Sial had no reason to be here; she could get in trouble and she hadnt been invited, but stupid or not she was going to stay. She was going to stay, she was going to get caught but she was bloody well going to enjoy herself!

 

The voice of reason piped up again. Whose to say someone here wont get cold feet and rat on the rest of you? It was a reasonable enough point. Hesitantly, Sial half-raised her hand from the back of the group and spoke up.

 

"'Scuse me? What happens if someone gets caught and squeals on everyone else?" She felt eyes on her, strangers eyes, and felt awkward. Then continued talking, her language deteriorating the more defiant she felt. "If someone does that to me, I swear I'll hunt the Trolloc-kissing cow down and make her regret it, but thats going to be bloody hard if Im too bruised to sit down and confined to washing bleeding pots for the rest of my life."

[Sam]

Hendra Biddle had a liking for night-time excursions. She had quickly discovered it was the quietest time in the tower, and so long as she wasn't seen, was the best time to enjoy the privacy of her own thoughts, without being interrupted by the snores of her room mate. It was also an exceedingly good opportunity for mischief, and upon hearing the whispered plans, she was in.

 

It wasn't often that Accepted and Novices conspired together, but this would be well worth it. Hendra didn't even mind the attitude that came along with snooty novices, the fun would overshadow any irritation she may feel. It was obscenely early, but that didn't bother Hendra as she hastily dressed in the dark. The lump in the other bed was snoring loudly as usual. Not wanting to wake her, Hendra kept her shoes in her hand and slipped out of the room barefoot and onto the cold tiles.

 

Hendra had never met Estel Sedai personally, but she had heard rumours that the Blue had been a notorious prankster in her youth. Some of the stories seemed to outrageous to be true, but the woman still held a certain awe among the initiates that could not be ignored. Bubbling with excitement and curiosity, Hendra quietly slipped into the room, following the hushed whispers she had detected ahead. Out of relative danger now, Hendra grinned unabashedly.

 

All seemed quiet, but Hendra knew she wasn't the only one sneaking out past curfew that night.  There were others like her, all making their way to the Blue Chambers. Getting to Estel's chambers undetected would be tricky, having to go past all the other sleeping Aes Sedai, but no doubt they never dreamed of finding novices and Accepted up to mischief in their own quarters.

 

 

Rory performed her most disarming smile yet and answered the question of the Novice she did not recognize--hardly a surprise: "What do be your name? I do be Rory and I do be ensuring you that no one will squeal. Only those that do be wishing to cause trouble be here." There was no guarantee of that, but it sounded good.

 

[ashara]

It had mostly been due to peer pressure, if she had to put a word on it. Trails and trails of white dresses following each other, as if hypnotised by the piper’s music had sought her out of her evening rambles and made her ignore Cia’s warnings yet again. She had stepped out, grinned at a few who had eyed her contemptuously, and then followed the grinning up with a not so playful nudge that kept them distracted for a few seconds, just as she slipped right past them. The advantages of being an outcast were scant, but they were there.

 

Disdain or not, very few of the faces were recognisable. Tirzah could not be classified as new to the Tower any longer, but she wasn’t exactly embedding heart and soul into the whole thing, which made her chances of figuring out where their destination lived a little…dubious. So she followed, blind rat jumping on the band wagon, and not unhappily. When she finally found herself coursing her way, tiptoe and all, in the sapphire blue stones of the Blue Ajah Quarters, she was intrigued. What had originally been an idle saunter around the White Tower, was becoming something quite else, and although she was still unsure of what she was getting into, curiousity was a thing few people could subdue in a girl like Tirzah.

 

She questioned the Novice next to her, only to get a shrug and a small smile. Upon turning to the one to her right, the other decided at that very moment to move ahead. Swiftly. Disappointed, but not completely disheartened she simply stood, eyes wandering over the rooms they had been let into, taking in minute details with a wonderful mixture of boredom and lack of anything else to do. Occasionally she would tap her foot, only to be shushed at, and although Novice Tirzah who rose in the morning with cheery rebellion written all over her face, the somewhat tired, all too inquisitive young woman did not give back. She merely continued.

 

When someone finally paid them attention, Tirzah was amazed to see who it was. Rory was one of those people who she had heard of, but met little, spoken of, but only based on what her Mentor told her. The jolly greeting was layered thickly in the Illianer accent she was not yet accustomed to, and as Rory continued on, Tirzah felt the need to laugh, but smothered it. Besides, the words were far more interesting than any detail about how they were said. Crossing her arms, she nodded as the words lengthened, her small, disinterested smile growing larger and larger as Rory’s words-which were soaked with persuasion, oh yes-unfolded more than enough explanation. So, they were bringing the White Tower down. Or parts of it, anyway. Ignoring the possibilities racing through her, Tirzah pushed through the murmurs and wide-eyed, and stepped in front of the Novice who had spoken earlier.

“Evening! I don’t know you, but you look good enough to stick around with. How’s the weather on your end?” Taller by a fair share than the petite Cairhienin, she smiled down pointedly at her, and waited. 

 

~Tirzah

[Siemba]

Sial peered over at the Accepted (why did the name Rory sound familiar?) and looked calculating for a moment-just a moment-then her face broke into a grin. It was hardly a civilised smile. She had more than once been told that she grinned like an urchin stealing an apple. That was probably true enough and, in all fairness, was not to far from the reality of her past. "My name is Sial," she replied to Rorys question, " and if you reckon that no one here will snitch even under the switch, thats good enough for me."

 

Someone stepped in front of her. Sial looked up to see another woman in Novice white. Woman being used very broadly. Sial herself was curvy enough to perhaps lay a claim to the name, despite looking a good few years younger than she was and being a scruffy creature besides, but beside the other woman, who seemed about as old as Sial looked, she felt very girly indeed. It wasnt that the other Novice was uglier or scruffier than Sial; she was just completely different in apperance. Taller, for one thing, though that was nothing new, but willowy rather than curvy and generally darker. Not to mention the fact that her black hair was short. In fact, if she hadnt been wearing a Novice dress, Sial would have had to look twice to decide if she was actually female or a pretty boy.

 

“Evening! I don’t know you, but you look good enough to stick around with. How’s the weather on your end?” Northern accent, definately. Why didnt I look more at that bleeding map my uncle nicked? Not that a bloody map would help with accents...bloody idiot, Sial, thats what you are... Sial did not think of herself as short, so the joke both metaphorically and literally almost flew over her head. She worked it out, though she didnt take offense. Light, it was hardly as if she had swarms of people queing up to talk to her! Besides, whatever Rory said, this could be risky business. It wasnt the time to make enemies, not when you had just annouced your name to a room...Bloody, bloody idiot! Why didnt you give your life history too?

 

"The weather is lousy," Sial replied, then in an unusual show of poking fun at herself, she added in a serious voice but with glittering eyes, "too much shade, but at least I dont get smacked about in the wind."

 

She yawned. " I would say good evening but Im not sure if its bleeding evening or sodding morning anymore. Im Sial. Who are you?"

[Guest Estel]

Rory’s encouragement was met with low, piteous whine.  Something to the extent of “Geddaddahere.” was muttered into her pillow and may or may not have reached the Illianer’s ears.  Burying her head under layers of pillows and blankets, it wasn’t so much Rory’s words that got her to sit up in bed as her actual voice- or rather, the volume of it.

 

“Blood and bloody ashes, Rory.” she growled around a yawn.  Embracing the Source, she hastily threw up a ward against sound, sweat slicking long hazel hair to her forehead and cheeks as she waited long minutes to see if the racket had woken any of her sisters.  Her company went on oblivious to this danger and indeed seemed oblivious to the fact there was a very awake Aes Sedai glaring at the lot of them.

 

When it became clear that neither Serena, nor any of her older Sisters, Rossa and Aeveryn she might have been able to bribe or blackmail into holding their tongues about this particular escapade, would come bursting through her door, Estel reached over the side of the bed and fumbled on the floor for her dress robe.   Hastily throwing the navy silk over her thin shift, she vainly attempted to scrub her hands through her hair but succeeded only in making it seem as if she hadn’t sent Orion away- though it was something of an improvement on looking as though a pack of rats had taken to using her hair as their nest.

 

Hazel eyes scanned the crowd bleakly.  Damn the girl, she was bloody mad to bring this many!  They were sure to get caught!  And then this would all fall down around Estel’s head.  Bloody hell, why had she let Rory convince her to join?

 

“Keep your voices down, fools.” she growled at the lot of them, overtopping them all by a few inches at least.  Estel had never needed any particular “presence” to loom.  “You!” she said pointing to the last girl who had shouted across the room… Sial was it?  “Don’t bloody curse.”  Her straight face lasted roughly five seconds before breaking into a laugh at her own hypocrisy.

[Siemba]

Sial jumped and swore as reflex at the voice of the Aes Sedai, her quieter conversation with the other Novice momentarily disrupted. What the hell is a full Sister doing here? I bet bloody Rorys sold us all out! Bet shes been hired to dig out the troublemakers so they can be punished in advance... Caught between the urge to run and the general need to defy, Sial froze.

 

It didnt last long though. No Cariheinin took things on face value and Sial was Cairheinin to her fingertips, despite the tinge of olive to her pale complexion. What kind of bloody Aes Sedai is telling us to keep our voices down...and what in the name of the Dark One is she wearing? It was a bizzare situation and the young woman wished more than ever that the knew the whole picture. The Aes Sedai was wearing a perfectly respectable Aes Sedaish dress but her hair looked like...Sial tried not to think about it. She blushed too often as it was. What kind of an Aes Sedai tells you off, contradicts herself then cackles? The womans been on the wine, I bet.

 

Whatever the woman looked like or acted like or spoke like, she still was Aes Sedai so Sial did not answer back. Still, she wasnt going to start curtsying until she knew exactly where she stood in this situation. Instead, she looked at the other Novice, her perhaps-sortof-ally, with a cocked eyebrow and quizzical halfgrin.

[Lih-Lyh]

Saline never knew her roommate had so many friends, as she surveyed the score of girls in white. Some were more conspicuous with their Accepted hems or louder voices, while other ducked out of sight, pausing in their circular motions only to murmur an apology for bumping into another, before the bobbing and weaving resumed. It was rather crowded in Estel Sedai’s quarters, but that was not what checked Saline’s breath as Estel Sedai emerged from the bedroom with her hair mussed, holding the Source.

 

Saline flinched as the Blue channeled around them, but it was only a Circle of Silence to keep in the giggles, whispering that roamed rampant throughout the chamber. Suddenly alarmed to find an Aes Sedai in their midst, the Aes Sedai-in-training settled in silence, fidgeting here or there listlessly under that baleful glare. A reputation was the hardest thing to lose, and the Blue had one a few leagues deep. Through the grapevine of whispering holes, she had heard stories to that effect, but the Estel Liones she knew had been the victim of rumours throughout the years, and had a foul temper to rival her reputation.

 

Her clammy hands were entrenched firmly into Rory’s grip, which made it impossible for Saline to hide as the other spoke. In some ways, the Illianer’s presence had matched that of the Blue Sister, demanding the attention of her peers as the girls asked questions. And questioned they had, for the terms sounded too good, and simple to be true. It did not surprise Saline that her roommate would be hatching such a prank; what had taken her aback was Estel Sedai’s encouragement.

 

She had heard of a type of bird with blue feathers, the males of the species with the most feathers attracted the mates with their plumage while the birds with fewer feathers that were less bright had to find other ways to attract mates. Well, it turned out that the males with bright blue feathers built sloppy nests, while the latter made up for their lack in appearance by creating works of art, often flying over the cities to swoop up bright blue materials for their nests. There was no doubt in her mind which kind of bird Estel Sedai was as the Domani cursed, reprimanded a Novice for cursing, then cursed again, barking a laugh. Estel Liones, in unflattering but terribly accurate words, was the bird of a feather who had not found her flock yet. But wasn’t that what the Blues were – individuals with their own causes? An admirable mission, a mission Saline had always been puzzled by, for the other Ajahs had their specific goals, as did the Guilds of old. Of course, she had her own biase, considering the Ajah she aspired to. Estel Sedai was Rory’s friend here, and any friend of Rory was Saline’s by afiliation, albeit rather loosely.

 

Being your own person, in a world that told you what to do was a good idea in theory, though in practice the struggle was ... tiresome. Her hand squeezed Rory’s once more, and she smiled. Even the Aes Sedai was human, and Saline had become rather used to Estel Sedai’s unique set of contradictions.

 

[ashara]

Glittering eyes, smirking lips- Tirzah had found her ally. She laughed back at the riposte openly, but before she got a chance to give back, the conversation flowed onto the next, and more important matter of introductions. “Bleeding evening it is, just in case that was a hint for my revealing true fact.” Her voice was filled with mirth as she had replied, but her tone lost its humourous edge, and instead was there was a drop of pride in her voice. Unconsciously, her shoulders rose and any hints of a slouch vanished into thin air.

 

“Name’s Tirzah. Are you new too?”

 

She certainly looked it, thought Tirzah. No one else around them seemed to have latched onto Sial either, so Tirzah had felt it okay to assume that the other-appearances being deceiving or not-was as much of a newcomer as she, if not more. If she was wrong, then Sial would rectify that immediately of course. Besides, if she wasn’t new, that would make matters of finding the place that had leaped to her mind a much easier task. It was not that her sense of direction was bad, no. This was a case of pure lack of observation.

 

Tirzah was about to say more, perhaps even suggest in words not so subtle at the possibility of teaming up, but was stopped yet again, by another’s voice. This time though, the voice was familiar. Something in that drawl tugged at her, making her turn in the direction of the cacophonous laughter. When she did, she grinned. Lucrecia’s Mentor, Estel Sedai looking as if she’d been dragged out of something right in between much required beauty sleep and, a nice tumble. Shunning the crude jokes that flew to her lips, she bit down on her lower lip with her teeth and watched as Sial jumped to and fro under Estel’s commands, that too not without reminding Tirzah of a puppeteer, sleepy or not.

 

When she caught her newfound acquaintance’s questioning look, she decided to step in just a little. There would be no curtseys coming from Tirzah Behen, but for Estel Sedai, she would gladly show some respect. “Estel Sedai, I’m honoured to have met with you at such an hour of the night! You look much better than any other Aes Sedai would’ve, were it so that we were dragging one awake to conspire about..uh…becoming the soldiers in the greatest prank the Tower’s ever seen. Thank you for your help.” Bowing her head, pleasantries done, she turned back towards Sial. “Would you mind working with me tonight? No? Great, I think we’ll get on beautifully. Just beautifully.” Eyes wide with delight, she went on. “Where to first, partner in crime? I've something in mind, but you look like the kind of person who'd be pretty good with them idea type things yourself.”

 

~Tirzah

 

OOC: Hope that works!

[Siemba]

Sial was more than slightly surprised that her new companion knew who the Aes Sedai was. Estel Sedai? That sounds familiar too. Same way that Rory sounds familiar. Perhaps they are related or someone else was talking about them. Hwatever the case, she filed the Aes Sedais name-and her involvement in the scheme-in the back of her mind just in case. She filed what Tirzah had said too. So she was new, was she? That was interesting. But then, it depended what you classed 'new' as.

 

"Would you mind working with me tonight? No? Great, I think we’ll get on beautifully. Just beautifully. Where to first, partner in crime? I've something in mind, but you look like the kind of person who'd be pretty good with them idea type things yourself.”

 

Tirzah sounded, to Sial, like someone who had been rejected too many times. It reminded her of when one of her uncles was chasing a local kitchen maid who wasnt interested, a few years back. He had swept her along in conversation rather than giving her a chance to tell him to get lost. The Cairheinin Novice was no kitchenmaid (not anymore anyway; she had been rubbish at that) but it was the same speedy type of conversation. Perhaps Tirzah doesnt know anyone here either, not the Novices anyway, if shes new.

 

"An alliance it is then," Sial said with a slight chuckle in her voice.

 

She pushed a stray clump of shiny dark hair that had escaped its plait back from her face. Tirzahs complimetn had not gone unnoticed either. You didnt spend time with merchants and not notice these things. I need to think of something really...good... An idea hit her. She had, after all, been out tonight to steal a live chicken from the kitchens as a pet anyway. She had just got sidetracked. Why not go the whole hog?

 

"How does letting some stolen chickens free somewhere strike you?" she asked, quite quietly. No point in announcing your plans to the whole bloody room.

[Lih-Lyh]

No curtsey, not even a mockery of one – Saline gaped at her student, and not for the first time. Brave, brave Tirzah held her head stiff with pride as she grinned up at the Aes Sedai, expressing in a loud, clear voice how good the Blue looked, and how grateful the ‘soldiers’ were for Estel Sedai’s help. Flushing slightly in alertness, but not without a keenness of pride herself Saline shook her curls as she shrank back against the wall to remain inconspicuous. From behind the mask, her mouth curled wryly. If she hadn’t recognised the Novice from her speech, only Tirzah would have referred to those assembled as soldiers.

 

Once Saline had found her, it was easy to keep track of Tirzah as she watched the Novice turn back to consult with her companion, a pretty face framed by sleek dark waves that sprouted from a braid fastened in the back. Saline had glimpsed the lass around the halls, but never had the chance to speak with. One of Lillian Tremina’s students, was she not? She smiled at the thought of her friend, and crouched, gliding then stopping between dresses and hems as she edged closer, just close enough to hear the chipped words of a Cairheinin delineated the good old chicken prank idea.

 

At first she was merely interested, but now the prank took on a personal twist as well. Before her roommates had gained acceptance, and this was while Estel Sedai was still Accepted herself, Estel had caught them in a fight the first day over Saline’s handkerchief and brought the three of them to the Mistress of Novices; in retaliation for snitching, Aeveryn, Zaynab and Saline, the trio had united and set live chickens on Estel’s bed, with the unexpected help of Throm, the trainee Zayna had been sweet on (Rosemary… Zayna?), much to Aevy’s dispproval, and gotten away with the prank. That was, until Saline came clean from a sudden bout of conscience and ‘fessed up to the crime in the Blue Ajah class taught by the Blue. The Taraboner ended up having to wring every chicken that came through the shed for the soup kitchen project, for punishment, although that had more advantages than she or Estel Sedai thought, thanks to their friend Rossa, and on occasions she would even bring Novices such as Salandrian to the shed where they would cook for the poor. But it was through this chicken pranking experience that Saline really learned to support her own ideas of justice, instead of always hiding behind her cowardice.

 

Overhearing their purpose, the Mentor in her wanted to follow them, to supervise and ensure their (relative) safety, but a thought bringing Rory’s words stopped her, letting the two go. Something else occurred to her, something that might help them evade notice, and softly, Saline permitted the Taraboner accent to thicken considerably as she spoke so only the pair could hear her, “You can take one from the shed, as well. There is a whole crate there, and Tirzah knows the way.” Moving on quickly she chuckled and did not stay for any feedback from either Novices. The irony of using chickens from the shed was richer than the soup last night, and she would not really mind if Estel Sedai had overheard as well.