Nothing was stirring; not even a... novice...?

[Arae Selidan]

Megain tiptoed down the dark corridor, tiny ball of light hovering above one hand, trying to concentrate on both keeping absolutely silent and maintaining the flickering ball of light. It's so difficult to do anything with Fire...

 

She finally reached the abandoned Aes Sedai rooms where the so-called 'party' was to take place. One door had a crack of golden light underneath, and Megain cautiously tiptoed up to it and pushed it open.

 

The Accepted who had informed her of the party was already there, as were a few other novices. The Accepted ran up to her and pulled her inside.

 

"Keep the door shut!" she hissed. "You can see the light all the way down the corridor otherwise!"

 

"Sorry!" Megain gasped as she was jerked indoors. The Accepted closed the door quietly and turned to frown at the milling novices.

 

"Don't you know how to have a proper party?" she snapped.

 

A chorus of "Yes, Accepted" rose up from the novice ranks. The Accepted nodded in satisfaction.

 

"Well, go on then - get to it!"

 

As the other novices began talking animatedly, Megain looked around, lost. Sorna hadn't arrived yet, and this... event... seemed very different from what she'd been expecting. There were a few plates filled with food, probably stolen from the Kitchens, and people seemed to be standing around, eating and chatting. There was no dancing at all.

 

She looked at the Accepted who seemed to be surveying the Novices with a satisfied smirk on her face. Megain had the uneasy feeling that the Accepted was manipulating them all somehow. Still, she'd said to Sorna that she'd be here, and she couldn't go back now...

 

((OOC: Come in, eat, drink, be merry! There might be some wine on the table if you're interested in getting your novice drunk ;) Or start the dancing - whatever!))

[Miya]

Miya went over the instructions again in her head for what could probably have been the 100th time.  It wasn't that she was daft, far from it, but the bloody place was huge and who knew when one of the Sisters would come strolling along on some manner of patrol.  The rules had been made QUITE clear to her and this was most definately a violation of them.

 

Still... after little successes with the One Power, the homesickness that she hated to admit was getting to her, and the endless hours of chores and other boring work... well, even a borderlander had her breaking points.  Surely it would be okay to bend the rules a little bit, just this once? 

 

Miya grinned a wicked grin as she approached the door she was instructed to come to.  Rapping on the wood as loudly as she dare to in these wee hours of the night, she waited on pins for the door to slide open cautiously.  Once it did she nearly yelped at how quickly she as pulled inside, the shock only washing away at the beautiful sight of sweets, brandy-wine, and other girls not scrubbing floors or something equally mundane.

 

"Wow..."  She breathed.  This had to take a true effort to pull together without the Sisters learning of it.  Of course, when she saw the Accepted, she figured immediately that they must have been the driving force behind this mischief.  Taking a sticky bun and a small shot of brandy-wine she slipped quietly to a corner to enjoy the sights and sounds of a friendly gathering.

 

Of course she wanted to to talk to someone, but first she'd eat... one must be practical after all... there'd be time to talk later if the event did get broken up by the Sisters & somehow she doubted she could say the same for the sticky buns and wine.  Besides, she was just positive she was the newest novice here and, sadly, she couldn't remember a single person's name!

 

Well... tonight she'd rectify that, one way or another.

 

 

 

[Tigara]

Melianna sat in the corner, sipping her spiced wine. The grin on her face said that she knew something that the others did not. Was she going to tell them, not a chance. She just sat back and watched the fun begin, absentmindedly playing with her hair. Novices eating and drinking and mingling. Very cute.

 

Melianna

Novice

[Miya]

Miya looked to the girl near her, she seemed quite content to do the same thing as she was ... eat and drink first and then worry about other things later.  Conspiritorially she leaned over to her wall-flower friend and spoke softly, "We're going to be in terrible trouble for this,"  She swallowed a bit more wine.  "...you know that right?"  She giggled the last part before extending her hand to the other girl.

 

"I'm Miya Kiyoshi.  What's your name?"

 

[Tigara]

OoC: I assuming you are refering to me

 

IC: Another novice walked over to Melianna, sipping wine and looking slightly lost. A new novice, by the looks of her. She spoke so soft, she could hardly hear, something about getting in trouble. She extended her hand out and said her name was Miya, while asking for Melianna's name.

 

"My name is Melianna, of Arafel."

 

She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and held the stemmed goblet at the base of the cup. She was interested.

 

"Yes, I do believe that that Accepted will squeal if she gets cought doing this. If she does, I would love to be there to see it." That smile came back to her that said she knew something.

 

Melianna

[perine]

Kalinde was practically running the corridors into the room where the super secret party was to be held. She aimed at looking busy, she had been stopped twice already on her way to he chamber to do some utterly annoying chores. She knew she wanted to be raised Accepted and Aes Sedai in the end and wanted to prove to herself as well as Saline that she was worthy of becoming Aes Sedai, but there were too many rules to keep to all the times, and when she had heard of the party she did not hesitate to find out where it was.

 

The corridor was empty and only a slight shimmer of light could be seen from under one of the doors, Kalinde peeked back to the corridor she had just come from and deemed it empty. She rushed forth to the door, and slipped in without even fully opening the door. Novices and Accepted were gathered around the table that held some nice smelling foods, and to Kalinder delight some drink as well. She made her way to the table and picked up a glass of the mulled wine. The dry taste was not to her liking but she knew that by drinking this she would soon be a bit tipsy, and that was what she was after. She had not had a drink of anything since she had left home, and the ones she had drunk there were just some awful stuff sneakily drunk with her brothers.

 

After three glasses her head was already spinning. Kalinde did not recognize many of the novices, some had been on chores with her and a few in the classes she had taken, but she was not going to let that stop her from meeting new people. She walked over to the nearest group of novices swaying in her stops a little. "How about some dancing girls?" she exclaimed and pulled the two to the dance floor that held no people though there was music playing. She twirled the two around a few times before stopping to gather her bearings again. The mulled wine had been stronger than she thought. "I'm Kalinde Yarrah, from Saldea. And I have no idea how to dance." she giggled the last remark as she had most likely trod on both the girls’ toes. "How long have you been in the tower?" she asked neither one in particular.

[Miya]

(( oc:  Sorry I should have been more specific.  LOL.  I was talking to you so all good! ))

 

ic:

 

As soon as Melianna said she was from Arafel as well, Miya's face split into a huge smile.  "I'm from Arafel too!"  She couldn't keep the excitement from her voice.  "Tifan's Well specifically... we'll outside it in the countryside a little actually, not that it's much of a village to look at.  It's pretty tiny really.  Light but it's good to find someone else from Arafel here!  I was beginning to think..." 

 

But Miya didn't get a chance to finish her sentence before some girl, Saldean by the look of her nose, came rushing up to her and Melianna.  "How about some dancing girls?"  Miya, a lover of stories, knew enough about Saldeans and dancing to be glad that there were no boys around... especially since the girl before her seemed a little tipsy already.

 

Just as she was about to object however, the Saldean grabbed her and Melianna's arms and pulled with all her might literally dragging them up onto the dance area.  Miya's eyes shot bolt wide with shock at first, looking to Melianna for some sort of reaction.

 

"I'm Kalinde Yarrah, from Saldea. And I have no idea how to dance." Miya couldn't help but laugh with Kalinde even as the girl trampled her toes.  Boy was she right, she couldn't dance!  The light alone knew why she'd pulled Melianna and she to the dance floor; perhaps it was to help hide her own inability.

 

"Dancing is easy... here, copy me."  Miya began a traditional Arafellin feast day dance and hummed to the song in a surprisingly angelic tone. 

 

"How long have you been in the tower?" 

 

"I haven't even seen my first free day yet, if that let's you know how new I am."  Miya smiled sheepishly ending her humming.  "I figure if my pa-pa knew I was working on my first whipping before I even earned my first day of fun he'd make the Mistress of Novoices blush with the pushishment he'd give me.  I wouldn't sit for a week, I promise you that!" 

 

Realizing she hadn't introduced herself to Kalinde yet she quickly extended a hand to her, "I'm Miya Kiyoshi... from Arafel, by the way and this here is my new friend Melianna, she's from Arafel too!"

 

Once Melianna had replied to the question about how long she'd been in the tower, Miya piped up again.  "Hey, did either of you get to bring a horse with you when you came or did you both travel by boat too?"

[Tigara]

Miya mentioned that see was from Arafel after Melianna said she was. Without the braids, it was hard to tell that she, herself, was Arafellan, being honey skinned. She could see the girl's excitement at her heritage. Suddenly, another novice came and snatched them up. The pulling spilled her wine onto her fresh clean white dress.

 

"Oh no! That will stain so badly!" she screamed in her head.

 

Appearantly the novice wanted her and Miya to dance with her. She half expected the girl to burst into the sa'sara in her drunken stupor. "Dancing is easy... here, copy me." Miya said as she started with a traditional Arafellan dance. So the girl thought she didn't know how to dance, did she? Melianna recalled an illustration in one of the Sea Folk books she had read during her free day that showed a Sea Folk dance. She began rolling her hips and swaying her arms in a fashion portraying being sea-bound. She did often dance on board her Father's ship.

 

Miya introduced her to the Saldean and the Saldean wanted to know how long she had been here. "Oh, I suppose it has been several monthes now."

 

"Hey, did either of you get to bring a horse with you when you came or did you both travel by boat too?"

 

"No, I got yanked into the Novice book while my father and I were delivering food to the kitchens. I never had the intention of becoming Aes Sedai until I was actually a novice." She still couldn't decide whether she was glad for Miri Sedai, or resentful.

 

Melianna

[Kass]

Kirsa walked smoothly down the hall ways of the tower, looking like she belonged there and had something very impolrant to do. Once she reached the abandoned coridor her pace slowed and she began to get nervouse. She didn't really want to get in trouble, but she was absolutley tired of doing chores and following the orders that everyone gave her. She was fine with following orders, she just couldn't deal with it being aver moment of every day. It wasn't like it had been her choice to go to the tower in the first place.

 

She glided up to the door and gently tapped, but before anyone could let her in themselves, she slid inside and looked around. It wasn't exactly what she would call exciting. The only people that acctually seemd to partying were three girls in the center and one seemed drunk. She glided her way over to them.

 

"Do you mind if I join you? You three seem to be the only people acctually having fun here," she said once she reached them. Her voice a stroking purr as usual.

 

She had put her long black hair up into a bun held by to decorated sticks, as had become her habit. Her posture was perfect yet seemed to be seductive, the way her mother had taught her. Kirsa looked like the Domani woman she had been taught to be like.

[Miya]

Miya's eyes nearly bulged in spite of themselves.  Light even in novice rags they look pretty, flaming Domani...  Swallowing back her thoughts she forced a smile and then laughed at how silly she was being.  Surely the girl hadn't come here looking to seduce men!  Sometimes, Miya told herself, she could be completely unreasonable & wool-headed.

 

"Of course you can join us."  She extended her well-worn hand to the beautiful girl.  "I'm Miya Kiyoshi of Arafel and these are my two newest friends; Melianna of Arafel who sadly was roped into this most prestigious insitution bereft of her, no doubt, beloved horse.  Over here,"  She looked at the tipsy Saldean and laughed again.

 

"Well this is Kalinde whom I believe is from Saldea if I'm not mistaken.  I'm trying to teach her a traditional Arafellin dance but Melianna's dance, I fear, looks a bit more fun."  Miya motioned to her fellow Arafellin's swiveling hips.

 

"I think I'm going to give it a try but I doubt I'll master how you make your tummy do that ... that ... um... wavey thing it does.  Honestly Melianna, I'm surprised it doesn't make you ill but it does look very fun."

 

Turning back to the Domani girl, "I'm sorry... look at me prattling on like a hen in a coup, what did you say your name was?"

 

[perine]

Kalinde stopped her twirrling and stomping wnad tried to follwo what her two new friends were trying to teach her. But as much as she tried to imitate the dance moves, she more or less looked liek a cow on skates than what she was supposed to be. "You make it look so easy." she grinned at both girls attempting to teach her. But still she looked like a fool trying to move her hips around, making it look more like she was trying to hit someone with them.

 

"I didn't have a horse to bring with me. I run off from home to come here and my father would have had my hide id I'd taken one of his horses." Kalinde said solemnly, before lettign her drunken grin take over again. She was about to say some more when a girl who had to be Domani entered their midst. Kalinde turned her attention to the new girl, but was too slow in even introducing herself, but Miya seemed to be doing a good job with the chattering.

 

"This wine is really getting to my head." she shook her head as if to get rid of the blurry feelign in her.  "I'm from Saldea as Miya said. And most likely I'm the only Saldea who does not know how to dance!" she laughed happily, not at all worried that her lack in schooling might make her look a simpleton in the girls eyes as it had done back home.

 

ooc. Most likely I wont be online until next year so just npc Kalinde if needed, and Ill pick off where we are then. Happy holidays!

[Siemba]

(OOC: is it alright if I join in? :) BIC:)

 

It was gloomy, as night had a tendancy to be in the corridors of the White Tower, but not entirely dark. Outside, the moonlight was strong and the little that strolled in through the windows was enough to light a little, highlighting a vase here, a rug-edge there. In some way, that made the shadows more forboding, as if someone or something could be hiding, ready at any moment to pounce on an unsuspecting Novice. Of course, Sial Daemoa was breaking curfew again and that would heighten anyones senses.

 

Considering that Sial had a tendancy to look on the pessemistic side of life at the best of times, it was surprising that the white clad Cairheinin was out of bed at all. Logic would suggest that one with such a paranoid outlook would avoid any possible circumstance that would cause their worst imaginings to actually become possibility. Logic, however, was not entirely Sials strong point.

 

Feeling her way along the corridor in the dark, Sial wondered for the fiftieth time why she hadnt remembered to bring a candle. It wasnt as if I was expecting to be out she reasoned even as she stubbed her toe on an unseen chest inlaid with mother-of-pearl that was conveniently hidden in the gloom. It was true-she hadnt been intending to break the rules tonight. Then again, she hadnt been intending to swear in Aes Sedai earshot again either, but she had. That was why she was in this predicament; apparently the words 'blood and bloody, trollocing, bastarding, goat-kissing ashes' were not appropriate from a young woman 1 year a Novice, regardless of weather she dropped a table on her foot or not. It had resulted in her being given a suitably tedious punishment, which had in turn meant that she had been late to visiting Coal in the stables (technically not allowed, but no one had objected in a year and Sial assumed no one noticed) which meant that she had been caught out and was now trying to find her way around the Tower in the dark.

 

She could channel a ball of light. That was an option, thought she still wasnt entirely comfortable with the One Power as a casual ability. However, light would spoil what little night vision she had...what was that noise? Almost like...talking? And laughing. Bloody idiot, Sial. Thats not likely. You must be hearing things. The little Cairheinin woman continued gingerly making her way down the corridor, limping very slightly on one foot. That toe would bruise- 

 

Sial blinked and shook her head. She was seeing things now. Surely that wasnt a faint light around the corridor corner?

 

A sensible Novice would have counted their lucky stars that they had gotten away with breaking curfew from the stables to that point and would have made thier way to their room and kept quiet. Sial, however, was nosy and was no stranger to pushing her luck into the bargain. Now she knew something was going on, she just had to know what!

 

The dark haired young woman slunk around the corner, confirming that she was not made and that there was, in reality, both light and noise coming from a doorway. Both leaked around the door, a quarter open, and echoed around the silent corridors outside. Sial scowled. It sounded like a party. Not that it surprised her that she hadnt been invited; she was hardly flavour of the month with most of the other Novices, being the type of person that she was. If she had been more open minded, it might of occoured to her that one stuck in a solo punishment all day, then in the stables alone, could hardly be invited to anything but Sial was rather stubbornly certain that the younger Novices were out to trip her up.

 

One hand fiddling with the end of her long, scruffy braid, Sial tiptoed in white (and decidedly scruffy) Novice slippers to the door and peeped in. There was an Accepted who seemed to be hosting the party, not to mention a hoarde of Novices. Sial scowled again. She recognised some of those Novices. Melianna she remembered to be quiet and unresponsive but it was not the dark woman that had the Cairheinin unimpressed. Younger, self-confident and entirely the Domani, Kirsa was at the party too. Sial hadnt seen the other Novice in more than glimpses for months-the Tower always had work and there was no guarentee that two Novices would ever be together in a chore-and of that she was glad. If she remembered rightly from a particular party around half a year ago, Kirsa was sure of herself to an infuriating degree and though herself better than most. Besides which, the girl thought herself clever.

 

Sial hovered. She could run and tell tales. There was the possibility that she would get punished too (she had no good excuse of having been here) but she would have got back at Kirsa... what did Kirsa really do to me? It was months ago and all she did was try and be bloody clever. Shes a child really, she might have changed. And whats to say this is her bleeding party? A party would be fun...is that wine?! Blood and ashes, where did they get wine? I want wine. The Cairheinin chewed her lip, trying to decide. Join the party? Tell tales? Run back to her room and say no more about it? Which would be most advantageous for her?

 

Sial Daemoa

Nosy Novice

 

 

[Kass]

"I'm Kirsa Mansoor, and it's great to meet you both," she said her smile large and pretty.

 

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a novice she had me what seemed such a short time ago. She turned around her smile only growing larger and perkier. All she could remember fo this girl was that she had tried to trip Kirsa up, but Kirsa, who liked to think the best of everyone, thought the girl might just be insecure.

 

"Sial," she called over to the small Carihien and waving her hand, as she glided over to the older girl.

 

"You should come join us, the more the livlier," she said motioning to the small group of three behind her.

[Siemba]

"Sial!" That silky voice suggested that she had been spotted and by the worst possible person too. Sial supressed a wince as Kirsa glided over to where she had thought she could spy unnoticed. Unsurprisingly, the girl looked as if she had stepped out of a story, a stereotypical Domani princess character with pristine hair and poise. Surprisingly, however, Kirsa didnt sound unfriendly; quite the contrary. "You should come join us, the more the livlier," the girl said, motioning to a cluster of girls she had been sat with, one of which was Melianna, another Arafellen and a tipsy looking Saldean...or at least Sial suspected that was what they were. She still was distinctly rubbish at desciphering races by looks alone.

 

Insecure would never be a word Sial would have used to describe herself, even in her head, but uneasy she was as she entered the room. She could hardly not, not after being spotted; that would cause more trouble than it was worth, but she did hate the choice being taken out of her hands. Then again, that was the way Daes Dae'mar worked. You manouvered, sussed your options, then changed your plans entirely when things didnt go the way you planned. That was the way the Maeone merchants had played it, at least. And in this, her options were now clear; she either excused herself and went back to her room and was thought of as boring or unsociable, told tales and was thought of as a sneak or excused herself and then told tales and was thought of as a coward and a sneak. Or she could join the party then either have fun or get into a fight.

 

Sial had picked her option in under a second. Melianna was either scared of her or thought her an idiot and either option was fine by Sial; the dark girl was not someone who struck her as a threat, though by the dancing she was doing, perhaps she had gained confidence since their last meeting. The other two she didnt know anything about-they looked new but who could say in the Tower?- but Kirsa she knew was younger than herself. Probably around the age of her little brother Dami, at home. as much as the Cairheinin thought of herself as independant, no one truely wanted to be despised...or did they?

 

The little Cairheinin drew herself up to her full 5'4" (inches matered when you didnt have many to spare) and looked Kirsa in the eye. "Kirsa," she said lazily, sounding surprisingly proper thanks to her accent. "Long time no see." Facing the other Novice, she found herself all too aware of her own hair, unbrushed since that morning and containing more than a few remenants of Coals breakfast, not to mention that one of her sleeves had fallen down from its usual position rolled up her arms and was distinctly creased. Then again, Sial had never held much by her appearence and she was sure that even had she been wearing some Nobles ballgown, she still would look a tramp in comparison to the younger girl. "It would seem that we only meet at parties." She managed to stop herself asking if there had been invites; if there had been, she certainly hadnt been invited. A hint of a smile, almost a smirk, curled around the corners of her mouth. "Perhaps less bloody official than the last one!" she added, the mild swearing spoiling her previous sound of sophistication but making her sound almost friendly. She took a few steps into the room, out of the corridor, but did not bound over to the other Novices. She still wanted an escape route available...

 

Sial

[Miya]

"I'm Miya Kiyoshi."  Miya extended her hand to the new comer who seemed to want to linger by the door.  "So, does anyone know any good party games to play?  I've heard of a few but not sure how well they'd go over here... like..."  She put a finger to her lip and tapped it slowly as she thought to herself.

 

"Truth or Dare... or I Never.  Both are games that are great for when you don't know people very well.  Always helps break the ice and shows you who has the most in common with you or who you wanna spend more time around.  Of course those are just games I've heard of back home.  I bet there are others from all the places you're from..."  She lookeda round to all the girls in the area wondering who among them might have a new and interesting distraction for her to learn.

 

 

[Siemba]

"I'm Miya Kiyoshi." One of the strangers introduced herself. Why is it that these people are always so forthcoming about personal infomation? Sial realised she should introduce herself. Kirsa had said her name anyway-it was hardly unknown infomation. "Im Sial."

 

So, does anyone know any good party games to play?  I've heard of a few but not sure how well they'd go over here... like..."   Sial could have laughed. She was getting deja vu. How long had it been since she had been out after dark and followed Rory and Salin, just to end up in trouble with the Mistress of Novices? How long since she had challenged Kirsa, Melianna and Dre to Five Facts or a Forfiet at a party? Somehow her current situation seemed a mix of both. The other girl-Miya?-had said almost what she herself had said then, though Sial had an inkling that Miya was speaking genuinely rather than out of ulterior motives.

 

Sial was not particularly inclined to any game with the word 'truth' in it. Giving away infomation openly just made things easier for people trying to find it. Still, the last incident was forefront, if not fresh, in her memory. "Truth or Dare? I might know it by a different name...what are the rules Miya?"

 

Realising she was still standing like some lost little child in the doorway, Sial made her way into the room properly, a wine bottle somehow finding its way into her hand. Her walk was its usual skippy self, which wasnt something Sial herself noticed but it contasted oddly with her much less bright and considerably more complex personality. Then again, Sial did not think herself short. She took a swig from the bottle. Having grown up with numerous uncles and worked in an inn, she was no stranger to alcohol but a year had her out of practice.

 

Something Miya had said clicked in Sials mind. "Miya, how old are you?" she asked rather shrewdly, though trying to sound conversational and as inoffensive as possible. "You havent been here long, have you?"

 

Sial Daemoa

Still nosy

[Miya]

"I'm 15 winters."  Miya smiled.  "And no, I haven't been here even a ten-day yet."  Leaning in towards Sial she remarked slyly, "Dark One of a way for me to start out though, not even one free day under my belt and something tells me I'm not ending this night without a sound strapping from that Mistress of Novices!"  She laughed loudly as she pulled back to her up-right position.

 

"Now, as for those rules though... here's how it goes.  Everyone who is playing decides first upon a consequence for not taking a dare or answering a truth.  It should be something suitably gross or unpleasent so that everyone wants to avoid doing it.  Then we sit down in a circle and we take turns asking each other 'Truth? ...or Dare?'  If the person we ask says 'truth' then that person must answer a question truthfully either about themselves or something else they have knowledge of."

 

"Now, should the choose dare..."  Miya couldn't hold in her grin.  "...to avoid telling truths that it is, the person is asked to do something dangerous or undesireable under normal circumstances.  Something that would impress or entertain the rest of us.  I once saw a dare where a boy ate a worm, another where a girl ran naked through the town, and yet another where a girl had to do her best impression of a goodwife of our village and that was positively worth a few giggles, let me tell you!"

 

"Most people choose truth all the time but occasionally choosing dares can spice up an otherwise dull night.  So, is that like the game you know?"

[Kass]

Kirsa smiled at Miya's words. It was going almost exactly as it had durring the other party she had met Sial.

 

"I'll join in," said Kirsa.

[Tigara]

Melianna smirked at the Cairheinin woman that snuck in. They had met before at the Green Ajah Tea Party. A very sly person, if she recalled correctly. Of course, all Cairheinin were like that. It seemed like last time they met, she had wanted to play a game as well. She had an agenda alright.

 

She stopped her dancing and went over to Miya, who was offering to play Truth or Dare. She had played it before with sailors. She amused herself by always picking Truth for long times then randomly putting a Dare in and then they would get all excited. That's the main reason she knew all those baudy songs that any Lugarder would be ashamed to know. It was also the reason she never sang in the Tower.

 

"I'll play." she said calmly. Hmm, what could she get these girls to do when Estel Sedai showed up. She started grinning so big she thought her face must be in two.

 

Melianna

Goody-two shoes.

[Miya]

oc:  Merry Christmas Everyone!  *hugs*  Additionally, Sial, seems the MON assigned you and me to be roomies.  If you aren't interested we can rp that it got changed for some reason or we're only just now meeting because of how little we're in the room at the same time... you know, you knew you had a roomie but she was in late and up before you or something.  Just message me and let me know what you wanna roll with.

 

ic:

 

Miya couldn't help but smiling so big that it hurt. "This is gonna be great!  Okay, everyone who wants to play let's go over to that corner and have a seat." 

 

Leading the way Miya put her back to the corner so she could lean there comfortably.  She was sure that Rory Sedai would love this wine, it really was a shame she'd be obligated to bust up this little get together.  After all, Rory would have a blast!

 

"First we need a deterant for people wanting to skip out on what they pick.  I know the ideas can be kind of twisted but they are suppose to scare us from wanting to just avoid doing what we first pick.  It could be anything like licking the floor to ..." she thought for a moment and then laughed as she finished, "going to the window down the hall to show your full moon to the warder's yard!"

 

As she finished laughing, "Any suggestions?"

[Siemba]

Sial narrowed her eyes as both Melianna and Kirsa agreed to play. They hadnt jumped when she had suggested a similar game. Come to think of it, since when had Melianna answered questions rather than looking at the floor like she wanted to become part of it? The Cairheinin had only met the tattoed novice that once but Melianna had come over as shy and dull then; today she was grinning and dancing. Perhaps the Tower has changed her already... As for Kirsa, Sial wasnt sure exactly where they stood. Friends? Enemies? Politely ignoring eachother? Well, she was sure to find out sooner or later.

 

Miya was prattling. Oh yes, she was obviously young, younger even than Dami at home in Maerone. Sial listened as patiently as she could. Foriegners talked so much! Why was that? The little dark Cairheinin followed the blond braided girl to the corner and took a seat, lounging with one leg under herself. The girl was still talking. Not unpleasently or rudely or offensively, just constantly. Blood and ashes, Im surprised no ones murdered her or gagged her by now. Does she shut up ever? I pity her tutors-they'll get their bloody ears worn out! Not to mention anyone she ends up friends with-her poor roommate! I bet she'll be wishing she had no ears after a week living with her! Still, the thought was half-hearted. Miya seemed open enough and likable enough. And she was younger than Sials little brother-it was harder to hate younger people wholeheartedly and Miya was far from horrible. Irritating, perhaps, but not offensive...

 

"First we need a deterant for people wanting to skip out on what they pick.  I know the ideas can be kind of twisted but they are suppose to scare us from wanting to just avoid doing what we first pick.  It could be anything like licking the floor to ..." Miya was saying, giggling, "going to the window down the hall to show your full moon to the warder's yard! Any suggestions?"

 

Sial was a Cairheinin born and bred, not to mention a dabbler in merchants Daes Dae'mar. That meant that, to an extent, she was reasonable at controlling her emotions and none too shabby at acting. It also meant that the younger girls passing suggestion set her face on fire. Show my what to where?! She could feel her pale skin colouring, which only made it worse. What are this lot of children going to get me into?! Public nudity?! Id rather go to Darienna Sedai, confess everything Ive ever done and demand to be flayed within an inch of my life!

 

Sial badly wanted to say something, but with her face glowing like a beacon in the Festival of Light, it would only attract attention to herself. She found herself wishing that, for a change, her hair was hanging loose so she could hide behind it, rather than being in its usual scraggy plait (with additional straw) hanging down her back.

[Kass]

When Kirsa heard the other novice say several dares, she couldn't help but laugh. Thye were beautifully perfect. She almost laughed harder when she saw Sial turn red, but she restrained it thinking it would have been mean to do so.

[Siemba]

Biting her cheeks, Sial attempted to return to a normal colour. As anyone who had ever attempted to do that would know, thinking about blushing only made the situation worse and with fair skin and a surprisingly prim view on some things, Sial had been in this situation before. She tried to think of something else for a moment, which was a struggle in itself. I need a get-out clause...that Miya didnt say we couldnt play and then mysteriously drop out one go before our own, now, did she? No she didnt. Ha. I'll bloody be doing that then. Im certainly not...mooning...anyone! Of course, that thought made her colour all over again, especially when she remembered the gender of Warders.

 

Struggling to keep her distinctly rosy faces expression neutral, Sial eyed the wine bottle in her own hand. It was cold and had the added benefit of concealing her face for a moment so she took a gulp that a tavern drunk would have been proud of. Red wine she thought to herself. It would be red, wouldnt it? It cooled her down a bit if nothing else. Feeling considerably less flushed, Sial looked at her fellow Novices. It occurred to her that she was probably not only the oldest woman present, in the little circle of Novices she was talking to, that was, but likely the one who had been at the Tower the longest.  What didn’t cross her mind was that the others, likely, did not realize that far from being in her mid teens like them, as her height and generally young appearance suggested, she was actually just a month from claiming two decades of life.

 

Sial being Sial tried to calculate the positives and negatives of her position as she absently swigged from the bottle in her hand. Pro, Im older and have more life experience. Con, if theres something they know and I don’t Ill look like a bloody fool. Pro, Ive been a Novice a year and know where to run in the Tower if we get busted. Con, if we get caught, I’ll likely be punished more for being so bloody stupid after all this time. Pro, Im Cairheinin. Con, Im Cairheinin. Pro, I have no friendship obligations to this lot and can scarper if I need to. Con, they have no alliance to me either and they know where I live. Con, if I run now Ill look like a coward in front of kids Dami’s age. Pro, I have wine-I can get them drunk and leg it when they don’t realize. Pro- The cycle continued in Sials head as she thought, sipping at the wine as if it was water.

 

On a positive note, she wasn’t red from embaressment anymore. If she didn’t put the wine down, however…

 

The Cairheinin glanced at the other Novices, then at Miya. “It doesn’t bother me. Whatever bloody consequence you like.” Her native accent and low voice would have been rather civilized if it weren’t for the splattering of swearing. She noticed Kirsa was laughing but she disregarded it. “Who goes first then?”

 

Sial

Should pay attention to what she is drinking...

[Tigara]

She snickered. Miya's ideas were good, but she Melianna had a very nice idea.

 

"How about you have to pay up an article of clothing every time you chicken out? I hope you wore lots."

 

She giggled more.

 

 

Melianna

 

 

[Siemba]

This time, Sial was ready for it. She knew this was going to be the topic for the evening. It was typical. The one time she had a chance to pry into peoples backgrounds, the one time she could dig for infomation without worry about people realising, and it was likely to end up with her starkers! This time, though, the Cairheinin managed not to blush scarlet like a silly little girl, though she did flush slightly. There was a trick, she thought, to not going red every time someone said something...inappropriate...for public mention. It seemed to be not thinking about what someone said too much. That made sense, in a way; you couldnt get outrageous mental images from words without thinking about it, but that was easier said than done. If you were eavesdropping for a particular merchant in exchange for coins, you needed to listen to every word around you, listen and pay attention enough to filter who might be relevant.

 

"Fine," Sial said in response to Meliannas suggestion. "Whatever." What on earths got into her? Last time I met her she was all nervous and dull and pathetic. Now shes just like the others, giggly and...stupid. Urgh. Its probably the influence of her friends here. All them other bloody Novices are al the same...most of them anyway. Bleeding cliques. "If we do that, people will have more incentive to do their dare or tell their truth."

 

She didnt point out that there was nothing stopping people just up and quitting, nor that there was no way to guarentee someones truth was truthful. She wouldnt, either. Doing so would spoil her own get-out clause. Tapping a fingernail on the top of the bottle, she looked around, managing to appear absent and not quite withit. "If thats the deterrant, who goes first? How do you decide that?"

 

One thing was for sure; it wouldnt be her. She wouldnt get stuck in that trap, oh no.

 

Sial shifted her weight and re-rolled up her sleeves. A fragment of straw fell from her dark scruffy hair to her lap, unnoticed. She was plotting. Now that she had worked out her own personal safety mechanisms for this game, she had to think up a way to throw the others...