Toast & Novices, or Toasted Novices? (Attn all Party Novices)

[Wayfarer]

Toast.

 

Darienna was quite partial to toast, more so than porridge.  Porridge was all well and good, but toast was easy and quick to put down so that one could get on with the business of the day.  A bit of butter, a bit of honey, it was enough with three cups of tea to allow her to get to her mid morning break.  A simple meal, and usually her bit of time in the day before it began for her to relax and then orientate herself for the day's work.  It was a habit that served her well more often than not, and she liked having that time to herself.

 

Not this morning though, no, this morning was a different matter altogether.  An Accepted and a number of Novices, all of them out of bed and about after curfew, having a party no less.  Well, most, another trio had been up elsewhere up to mischief as well, attempting to break into her office.  Those three had forfeited the right to doors on their rooms for the next month as a result, since they were unwilling to value the privacy of others.  Now she simply had the girls from the party to deal with.  It had been far easier to let them think they had gotten away with it, or stew over whether they had been found out.  Either way, it was going to make it easier for her to make her point this morning.

 

Seated at a table by herself near the entrance to the Dining Hall, she simply enjoyed her meal in silence as she waited for the first of those who had been up after hours to enter the Hall.  As each turned up, she would wait for them to get their meal then call them over.  Once they were all seated at her table, then she would proceed to speak to them all about last night's events.  The Accepted Teresa along with Novices Kalinde, Kirsa, Megain, Melianna, Miya and Sial.

 

The first had just arrived, Darienna waited until the girl retrieved her meal before calling her over.

 

 

Darienna Ceradin

Mistress of Novices

 

OOC:  RP each of you entering and taking a seat at Darienna's table, once you're all amassed, or we've waited long enough, I'll take us forward :)

[Tigara]

Melianna yawned. She hadn't gotten much sleep last night. The party had her up late. Fortunatly, she did not have sufficient wine to receive a hangover. She strolled into the Dining Hall. She was surprisingly early. Only a handful of novices sat eating at tables. Accepted dotted the room, as well as a meager handful of Aes Sedai. The breakfast display was usual. Meli grabbed her bowl of porridge, her apple, and mug of tea, and went to sit down at a bench.

 

She was half seated when she heard someone call her. Darienna waved her over to come sit. Light, now she wished she did have the hangover! She meekly strode over to the Mistress of Novices. She sat down and began quietly eating. Suddenly, she burst into tears. "I wasn't part of the party. I was there to get the Accepted in trouble. I called Estel Sedai to catch her. But they left too early. Please don't punish me. I'm innnocent." she rattled off in a sobbing slur.

 

Melianna

Weeping

[Wayfarer]

Wincing as the tears began, Darienna was patient as the girl spoke between her sobs.  There was something about that sort of behaviour that really irked Darienna, though perhaps it was just her.  When she had been a Novice, and later Accepted, she'd taken what came her way on the chin when she was caught out.  Tears and weasaling out of trouble once it had found you was just shameful, not to mention completely unecessary because now that Melianna was caught and Darienna knew what she'd been up to, there was no weasaling out of it for her.

 

Having said that, once the girl was done, Darienna was definitely done with the sobbing.  She was trying to have her breakfast, and weeping was not part of her morning ritual.  It was a sharp reproof that she chose to issue.  "Melianna, cease that detestable boohooing this instant or Creator me I will give you something to really cry about."

 

That got the girl's attention.  "I know exactly what you were doing, and you are far from innocent.  Now be silent, eat your breakfast and do not speak again.  We will wait for the rest of the people who were at the party to make their appearance, whom I shall call over as they come in.  Once they are here, we will discuss last night and not before."

 

"Now have your porridge, its getting cold."  At that, Darienna took a bite of her toast as she ended the discussion.  What she had to say about last night, she would say before all of them and that was that.

 

 

Darienna Ceradin

Mistress of Novices

[perine]

Kalinde woke to the sound of her roommate getting ready for breakfast. AS she opened her eyes a splintering pain slashed at her head. She groaned loudly. "Are you ok?" the other girl asked and Kalinde just nodded slowly, as any other movement to her head was too difficult to muster. "Just a headache." she whispered hoping that the girl would realize not to speak so loud. She sat up on her bed but did not move anywhere until her roommate had vacated the premises. She took a deep breath and emptied the glass of water from the table.

 

Moving was almost impossible. Her vision still seemed blurry, though she knew that she was not drunk. Her mouth tasted like rotten eggs and the trolloc that was fighting in her head seemed to refuse to leave. She slowly made her way tot eh washbasin and dunked her head into the stale water. She did not even care that it was once used. The feeling of the water helped her a little but not enough. Slowly Kalinde put on her novice whites again and braided her curly hair out of the way. Her hands shook so badly that it was almost difficult to tie the red ribbon to her hair.

 

She knew she needed food and water to drink. Her brother had often told her: "It'll go away the same way it came." but she would not be able to get a glass of wine anywhere to ease her pain. "I'm an idiot!" she shouted at the empty room before slowly making her way to the Dining Hall. The porridge looked so icky she was afraid she would vomit all over it, but took a good helping anyway, she drunk one glass of water while standing at the counter and then took another with her on the tray. She heard her name being called from the front of the Hall, and turned her eyes to see who had spoken. She saw the Mistress of Novices seated at the table and motioning to her. On a chair by the same table sat Melianna, looking teary-eyed and scared. "Busted." she muttered to herself before taking a better grip on the tray and making her way to the table.

 

“Good Morning, Darianna Sedai.” She said with difficulty. Her voice was quivering and the tray shook visible in her hands. She placed it on the table and seated herself. There was no running now. And she knew she would be punished well for this. The stale stench of alcohol was still caught on her breath. Brushing her teeth had done little to help it. Kalinde took a spoonful of the porridge in her mouth and swallowed hard. Oh Light, how vile it tasted. She breathed deep to keep her stomach from emptying itself and dared another spoonful in her mouth.

 

[Miya]

Miya woke in her room, alone, again.  It seemed she'd made it back without notice last night and so... that was reason to celebrate.  Opening the napkin she'd tucked her last sticky bun into, Miya bit into the gewey-goodness that was a sugar and cinnimon glazed bun.  Every bite was shear heaven.  What a way to wake up!

 

Washing her face and hands she dressed, rebraided a few of the brainds that had been coming loose over the last few days, and then headed quickly down to breakfast where she fully intended to wash down that sticky-bun with a nice juice and some laughs with her newest friends.

 

Sadly, some of her newest friends had found a breakfast partner of their own and now she wanted Miya to join them too.  This might not have been so bad if the breakfast partner had been a novice or accepted... but this partner made some of them cry evidently and likely would have Miya herself crying soon too.

 

"Oh dear..."  She muttered softly as she accepted the glass of juice handed to her by the other novice who was apparently on kitchen duty this morning.

 

Walking over to the table, Miya quickly took stock of what was going on and decided that the poor dear girl crying was the one who needed her courage most.  After all, she'd been switched many times by her papa back home so this couldn't be that bad really and Momma, well she was always creative with terrible chores to keep you busy all day.  Silently she prayed that Darienna was more like her papa than her momma.  At least his punishments were done and over quickly enough.

 

"Good Morning Darienna Sedai."  

 

Sitting down on the far side of Melianna (clearly not having heard the outburst she'd made earlier, as she wasn't in the room yet) she put her hand on the girl's leg beneath the table where it would only be noticed by the most persceptive of people.  Patting the other girl in a comforting manner, as an older sister might do for a younger scared one, she whispered "It's gonna be okay..."

[Siemba]

Sial Daemoa woke up still in last nights dress and wearing a considerable amount of carpet.

 

The dress was easily explained. On returning from the disasterous attempt as a party, she had been tired. Very tired. Lessons alone were enough to help a woman sleep at night but combined with extra chores for swearing, a visit to Coal in the stables, a lot of illegal late night scheming and a good deal of wine, it had taken all the concentration she had left to empty a jug of water and fall into bed. The carpet lint was explainable too, if slightly more embarassing. She was slightly ungainly at the best of times and combined with fatigue and alcohol, she had fallen over during her escape from the party. More than once too. Novice dresses gathered fluff, it seemed.

 

Scowling, Sial rolled out of bed with a groan. She wasnt hungover; the water had seen to that-but that did not mean she wanted to get up. She didnt even consider making her bed today, not that that was a particularly high priority on the best mornings. A stray stand of hay and a lock of horsehair drifted from her own dark mane and drifted to the floor. She grimaced and dragged off the dress, then dumped it but her wardrobe and went to the basin to wash. Feeling less digusting, she changed shifts, pulled on a new clean Novice dress and then attempted to fix her hair. 20 minutes and a comb full of knots later, Sial even managed to look tidy.

 

20 minutes, however, was too long to spend combing and as a consequence the little dark woman near sprinted to breakfast.

 

Trotting into the breakfast hall, Sial pushed some newly escaped flyaways behind her ears and absently pushed her sleeves up her arms. There was an interesting scent of food mingling with the low buzz of chatter coming from various bunches of women but it was the same almost every morning and she didnt register too closely.Bread and honey, I reckon she thought to herself as she headed toward the kitchen door, where other Novices on kitchen duty mingled with the cooks and scullions. Having grabbed herself some food, as well as a bizzare purple-brown fruit juice that she didnt equire too closely after she went to find somewhere to sit.

 

Out of habit, she looked around the room. There were numerous Novices and a good number of Accepted too, though Novices numbered the most. Novices had most to do and no one would get up at this abysmal time in the morning unless they had to. Then she caught sight of someone horribly familiar. The horribly familiar someone started gesturing. Oh blood and ashes...

 

Sial was no stranger to the Mistress of Novices. Within three months of being in the Tower she had been involved in a particularly specacular prank involving corn, her ally Tirzah and a hoarde of slightly uncooperative chickens. Things had spiralled downward since then. If that was a downward spiral, however, said spiral had gotten progressively steeper over the last seven months. She had gotten more than slightly reckless in her rulebreaking, perhaps due to increasing confidence in the Tower or the fact that her mentor was out of Tar Valon or simply because she was getting older or something else, but whatever her reasons, the result was that she knew the Mistress of Novices face better than she would have liked.

 

Not all pranks and clumsiness resulted in capture, though, and the Cairheinin found herself mentally listing reasons as to why Darienna could want to talk to her. Then she noticed the Aes Sedais companions. One she recognised but could not name, a Novice whose hair curled at the bottom of her braid and whose expession suggested that she had taken advantage of the wine at the party and was paying the price. The multibraided youngster was called...Maya? Miya?...and was aparently trying to reassure another weeping woman in a white dress. Sial knew Melianna from before last night and couldnt help feeling marginal comtempt for the dark girls weeping; she had to be nearly Sials own age, not a mere child. Then again, perhaps she had very good reason for snivelling. Sial had had a hangover in the past and felt that a day of chores, lessons, an early rise and a meeting with Darienna perhaps merited a bit of a howl, if that was the case. Not that she would herself. Better to be strapped to a side of beef and thrown to the bears than break down with the whole breakfast hall to see.

 

The Novice breifly considered pretending not to notice and escaping. Very briefly. Darienna Sedai was not daft. If she tried that, she had as good as proclaimed herself guilty. Of course, the Mistress of Novices probably suspected she was guilty anyway. Pessemisticly, the dark eyed woman started predicting the possible outcome of this meeting. Shes going to switch me. No, she'll set me to gutting fish-no, she'll make me write notes for Ava Sedai! Urgh...no, on second thoughts, she'll have me scrubbing out bedpans for forever more-or just throw me out the window! As long as she doesnt leave me to stew like she did that time I threw that lard ball out of the window to see if it would bounce and it-actually, thats not bloody likely. The womans a bloody moose, shes more likely to trample me underfoot and make me into bloody stew...

 

There was no time like the present. Sial trotted over to the table with as little expression as possible and stopped a good arms reach away from the Mistress of Novices. "Good morning Darienna Aes Sedai," she said rather solemnly, assisted by her native accent. She did not attempt to curtsy. Her curtsies remained appauling and attempting one whilst balancing her breakfast would be an accident waiting to happen. She took a seat away from the other Novices, although unfourunatley closer to Darienna that she would have preferred, and set to noncholently hollowing out her bread roll and smearing it with honey. If Darienna didnt know, she hadnt been too suspicious acting. If she did know...well, there was no helping that now.

 

Sial Daemoa

 

(OOC: Excuse the unnecessarily long post; caffine brings 'inspiration' ;D)

[Arae Selidan]

Hangover.

 

Megain immediately identified her headache for what it was. Grimly, she pulled herself out of bed, dressed herself in her novice whites, and headed down to breakfast. The only way she could do this was by focusing on one thing above all - I am never, ever, EVER going to drink again. Ever.

 

Not that she had been drinking anything more than fruit juice, as she recalled. Someone must have tampered with it.

 

As she walked through the hallways, memory after memory of her misdeeds assailed her. Channelling. Attending a secret midnight party. Drinking a few sips of wine.

 

And worst, Estel had caught her! Estel! Light, she had had the misfortune to run into her own mentor! She winced again, then squared her shoulders and continued on her way.

 

She entered the breakfast room and saw Darienna Sedai sitting at a table with a handful of other novices that had been at the party. Instantly, all the fight went out of her, and she dejectedly trooped over to sit silently beside the other Cairhienin, not even needing Darienna to call out her name first.

[Siemba]

Sial looked up as another Novice joined her. Another Cairheinin, to be precise. She found herself wondering that the womans motives were. Perhaps she thinks I look less likely to get in trouble...if thats the way shes thinking, shes going to get a bloody shock. Looking around the table in the least obvious way she could manage, the Novice couldnt help but think perhaps the other Cairheinin, assuming those were the motives, had a point. The braided girl staring at her breakfast looked like she was about to bring it back again and Melianna was snivelling into her half-eaten bowl of porrage. Hardly a candidate to inspire confidence. The Arafellin girl comforting her looked brave enough, but she had also announced that she was new to the Tower at the party; she probably didnt have the sense to anticipate the likely consequences. On second thoughts, looking at the Cairheinin, perhaps she was feeling rough too.

 

Sial sympathised. That is, she sympathised right up until a little voice in her head made some very cruel, if funny, suggestions. It took a lot of self-control not to bound up to the kitchens and return with some particularly pungent breakfast option, a kipper perhaps, but that might have promted Darienna Sedai to start talking. Hilarious as wafting bacon in front of the hungover might be, it was probably not worth attracting any further attention from the Mistress of Novices. She contented herself with giving the Cairheinin next to her a breezy smile as she continued splurging honey on her roll. "Morning! Lovely day, isnt it?" she said brightly, if quietly. Considerably quietly. Prudence was a virtue.

[Wayfarer]

"Quiet, please.  There is no need for talk until Kira arrives."  The Mistress of Novices smiled in thanks and sipped quietly at her tea, waiting for the remaining girl to arrive.  And when Kirsa finally made her appearance looking ten kinds of worse for ware, Darienna quickly motioned for her to join them.  "Gather around, girls, and listen to me very carefully."

 

As the girls crowded around, Darienna lit her pipe.  She inhaled and exhaled in a slow and content way, filling the air with the acquired scent of burnt tabac.  A thought came to mind that caused her to smile slightly as she surveyed the group of them.  Definitely not expecting what was coming their way.  "We have a problem.  But first, I am hungry.  I won’t be a moment."  The Mistress of Novices wandered off in search of food and soon returned with bacon on toast.

 

Darienna jammed her knife through the bacon, toast and into her plate with a loud scraping Sound.  The bacon was unusually tough.  She sawed through it, with enough force that the knife scrapped against the plate with a very distinct tone.  Smiling as she chewed on her food, she swallowed and took a couple more puffs of her pipe before she spoke.  "Perhaps we should just keep it simple, you’re all going to join me tonight, half an hour before curfew. The place should be known to you. After all, you were there last night."

 

Darienna went back to puffing her pipe and cutting through her bacon and toast, in silence of course.  After about half an hour, after meticulously working her way through her breakfast, Darienna Sedai stood up and left to go about her way with all the Novices and the Accepted still at the table, unable to depart until she did.  Depart she did, after smiling and bidding them a good day, of course . . .

 

Later, that night, the six Novices and one Accepted met outside that familiar place.  "Follow me, please.  You all know the way."  She began leading into that familiar room.  "I like parties, and we should have more of them.  I’ve decided it’s going to be a party week, yay."  Darienna clapped a few times in order to punctuate her content. 

 

The room’s dominant feature was a table with seven bottles, bottles of white wine whose vintage was measured in not years, nor months, but weeks.  Next to them sat seven glasses filled with nice warm milk, seven buckets, and a small bottle of something that looked expensive sat in the middle of the table.  Darienna doubted that any of the girls had foreseen what was about to happen.

 

"I bought you girls some drinks. Go ahead, dig in."  Darienna instructed each girl to pick up a bottle and form a line and start drinking, every single drop.  "To my figuring you have twenty-five minutes to finish those, by the way.  Oh, and these glasses of warm milk.  Nothing will put you to sleep sooner.  Those of you who don’t finish in time obviously like to party hard, and we have some spirits to top off your evenings.  I think the buckets are rather self-explanatory."

 

They all looked like they were still in shock.  Pointing to the table, Darienna clicked her fingers as she spoke sharply.  "Well, what’re you waiting for ladies?  Get to it, unless you plan on partying hard all night long."

 

 

Darienna Ceradin

Mistress of Novices

 

OOC:  Each character needs to finish their bottle within twenty five minutes, and there is enough there to get girls who rarely drink at all completely tanked.  Characters won't have much of a chance to talk, save between drinking.  Also, no geniuses who decide to try and spew on the Mistress of Novices, that isn't going to happen.

 

And for those of you who aren't aware of what the milk does, milk curdles when it comes into contact with alcohol.  So after you've finished your bottle, you get to have the milk and it mixes in your stomach. :)  Have fun with this and when it seems ready I'll move it to its finish.

 

PARTY!  WOOOO!

[ashara]

OOC: Hi guys, sorry if I'm interuppting. James pointed me to this thread after he posted with Darienna, and I complained about how I wanted to join to. He suggested that I took up posting that loathsome NPC, Teresa. Hope you don't mind. :D

 

Get your motor runnin'

Head out on the highway

Lookin' for adventure

And whatever comes our way

 

"Born to be Wild" - Steppenwolf

 

Doors. People-better known as annoying twits who deserved swift execution on most days-often liked to say that when one door was sealed shut, another would crack open, displaying light and warmth in bountiful amounts. People-bloody annoying twits-liked to say that windows of opportunity were linked with forces of the omnipresent, so that one only had to look hard enough to find what they desired the most. People liked more than anything to say, "that you've just got to have some faith."

 

Riiight. Hello, world, Miss Gullible will be taking appointments now. Please do bring along the awe-inspiring rainbows, butterflies and pink tutus- they have been missing of late in the Realist department. While we're ticking things off the check list, you may want to practice the happy joy dance- that's another rusty one we'll be tackling. Also have you..

 

Alright, so she was in a foul mood. Nothing new, nothing surprising, except perhaps the circumstances. She had expected that as evening grew onto her, Darienna Sedai's crisp words would've died down, rather than resonating in her mind. Even attempts at muting the Mistress of Novice to a buzz rendered her helpless, since now she found herself moving around with a dark scowl livening up her face, as noise worthy of competing with a bumble bee haunted every step she took.  The day had ticked by sand grain after sand grain, slow enough to keep every second a vicious reminder of what was to come: doom. Doom doom doom. Even for Accepted Teresa, Aspirant of No ajah, things were looking quite dim.

 

Yeah Darlin' go make it happen

Take the world in a love embrace

Fire all of your guns at once

And explode into space

 

Of course, she had been considering options since the moment Darienna had allowed them to leave the dining halls, mulling over what the right approach would be even as her mood plummeted into previously unexplored depths. However, the buzzing had given her little time to think, which meant that she found herself stuck, minutes before the appointed hour, before a small mirror that all Accepted were endowed with. Teresa pursed her lips and widened her eyes,  squeezing them tightly so that tears were forced out. Too weak.  Composing herself once more, she attempted this time to knit her dark brows together in tight anger and then finish it with gritted teeth. Hmm, looked like she was suffering a seizure.

 

Giving up for a few seconds, she stared back at her real face. It was not a pretty one; her sister had always said that her nose was too sharp, that her lips were too full and her eyes bug-like, before she would proceed to admiring her neck, touching it enviously as if it summed up all of Teresa's worth. Yes indeed, swanlike necks had been quite fashionable at the time. She had nice hair too, glossy brown that had taken years of devotion. Stroking it distractedly, she gazed sorrowfully at herself. Her wrongs were not that spectacular, really. A little bit of lying, a little more manipulating- if Novices of this generation were ridiculously gullible, Darienna was hardly being fair by pinning the blame on her as well. Why, she'd only been the instrument who had been used as they wished. The real disaster was something much greater, much darker. Novices. Bloody annoying twits.

 

I like smoke and lightning

Heavy metal thunder

Racin' with the wind

And the feelin' that I'm under

 

Minutes later, plain faced, suspiciously pale, she was being ushered in with the rest. She had considered at the last moment-frantic panic, much?-to run for it, skyrocket her way out of Darienna's sight as quickly as possible and just keep running, but one look at the Mistress of Novices told her no such luck would be coming her way. The all too familiar room greeted her vision as she seated herself, drumming her fingers on the table as she tried not to study the various items that decorated the room. It was only when Darienna started to speak that she decided to look up. She listened, connecting the bottles to the Aes Sedai's words quickly enough.

 

Bloody irony, that's what it was. Rising from her chair, spots of pink coloured Teresa's cheeks as she spoke, pitching her voice unnaturally high.

"Darienna Sedai, too much alcohol gets me rashes."

 

Like a true nature's child

We were born, born to be wild

We can climb so high

I never wanna die

 

~Accepted Teresa, NPC

[Wayfarer]

It was perhaps not so surprising that it was the Accepted who complained and tried to weasal her way out of the experience she was about to have.  It was important to not think of it as a punishment, while it had a retributive aspect (not to mention amusing), the purpose of the exercise was to modify the behaviour of those who had participated.  Therefore, it would be more appropriate to regard what was about to happen as a form of training as opposed to punishment.  As the Mistress of Novices, she trained those under her to learn how to better behave themselves, or at least be more shrewd and not get caught.

 

The rest of the girls watching, Darienna barely frowned at them as she pointed to the bottles.  "I find it rather interesting that alcohol brings you out in rashes, yet you are the one who organises a party after hours with alcohol supplied.  If you aren't willing to do the time, then don't do the crime.  Unless you think you're better than everyone else here?  That you are somehow in some way above the task that has been set you?  Because while you may be an Accepted, and they Novices, you're all in the exact same situation."

 

"But, I tell you what, I'm feeling especially compassionate."  Darienna smiled sweetly.  "If you want, I can empty that wine bottle of yours right now.  Instead, you can attempt to drink three bottles of water in the exact same time I have given the others to finish off their single bottle of wine.  Of course, since that is most likely an impossible human feat to do before the curfew is finished, I wouldn't advise it.  But it is your choice."

 

"Wine or Water?"

 

 

Darienna Ceradin

Mistress of Novices

[perine]

Kalinde had managed to hold her breakfast in her and was feeling somewhat less quesy about the whole morning when the Mistress of Novices finally spoke. She was suprised that the woman did not sound at all that angry. But there was a mystery to the task she was setting for them. Meeting them back in the same place they were breaking the Tower rules at, and 30 minutes before curfew. Kalinde bit her lip but nodded agreement to this strange punishement with the rest of the Novices.

 

The day passed slowly and by dinner she triumphed in having succeeded in passing the day and her hangover in somewhat dignity. She had been surprised to have kept all the food she had eated inside, though she felt she had been lucky. No kitchen chores had been assigned to her that day. The smell of those pots would have made her hurl in no time.

 

They had gathered uncertain about what was to come next. Darienna arrived promptly and made them follow into a room. Once inside Kalinde spotted the wine bottles on the table and also glasses of milk. It seemed unlikelythat the Mistress of Novices would want them to party, and as she continued with telling them the task ahead, Kalinde felt the color drain from her face. "25 minutes." she shook her head in disbelief. "Well, what’re you waiting for ladies?  Get to it, unless you plan on partying hard all night long."

 

Nobody moved from their shock, but the Accpted grumbled against the punishment. Rashes? Who ever heard of such a thing. The MoN was not lenient, she gave her a choice to drink 3 bottles of water instead of the wine. It did sound a much nicer task at first hand but as Kalinde remembered how sick she had been when her brothers had dared her to drink a whole bucket of water, she immediately was grateful that there was only 1 bottle of wine. One that would get her sick in no time, but at least she'd get something out of it as well. Water just made you sick. Wine would get her tipsy as well. She did not allow herself to remember how she had felt this morning. No, she would deem that never took place.

 

Without waiting for the Accepted to make her choice, Kalinde walked over to the table and picked up a bottle. 25 minutes was not a long time and Kalinde meant to get to bed early tonight. She opened the bottle and took a large gulp of the liquid and almost spat it right out. It was vile, with such a cheap and yeasty taste that it seemed an impossible task to do. She saw a few others follow her and start drinking. Kalinde took another large swallow and breathed out deep to calm her breathing and stomach. "I could have used this in the morning." She muttered to herself before drinking in some more.

 

[Siemba]

(OOC: Lol, Ive had steppenwolf in my head all day after reading asharas post:D

Excuse the short shoddiness of this post. I have a RL appointment to run toBIC:)

 

Sial Daemoa had had a rough day.

 

Well, perhaps rough wasnt exactly the word. It was entirely her own fault that she had spent the whole day stewing over what Darienna Sedai was going to do to them. The unexpected roommate was not her fault, true, but while not exactly a pleasent surprise, things could have been a lot worse. She could have been forced to share with a bore or a snitch or some uppity noble wannabe. No, rough wasnt the word. She certainly hadnt been suffering as some of the others who had been caught had. She, at least, had no hangover.

 

As of yet. By the sounds of Darienna Sedais punishment, that would not be the case tomorrow morning. Sial had worked for a bit in The Dancing Bear at home. She had a feeling she knew what would happen.

 

Still, she eyed the wine suspiciously. Perhaps its poisoned...

[Arae Selidan]

((OOC: James, you are very, very evil. :D ))

 

As soon as Darienna Sedai started talking, Megain reached for the milk. Normally she'd leave the best until last, but somehow she doubted that she'd get far enough for 'last', and she had a vague memory that drinking milk before alcohol was somehow beneficial.

 

The warm milk went down quickly, and Megain picked up a bottle. She couldn't disguise a tremor of her hand as she lifted the cheap wine to her lips - one of her greatest fears was vomiting. And the memory of the hangover and the oaths she'd sworn to herself were still with her...

 

She drank. The first mouthful flew out of her mouth as her mouth automatically spat it out, just missing the braided novice. Eurgh! Vile! However, one glance at the implacable Darienna Sedai, she immediately raised her bottle again.

 

Sheer willpower, born from her frustration at not being able to go through the Arches, her anger at herself for breaking the rules, and her determination to change, helped her to drink the wine faster than the other novices, faster than she would have thought possible.

 

It didn't take long for her body to protest. Running to the bucket, she barely made it in time.

 

What happened next, she reflected later, would best be summarised by one word.

 

BLEUURGE.

 

Even as she concentrated on the stuff coming out of her mouth, a little voice in the back of her head was lecturing her in the voice of her nursemaid. Let that be a lesson to you, my dear! Fastest to drink it down, fastest to bring it back up again.

 

She looked up at the rest of the novices. Some were looking decidedly green, and all their faces were swimming slightly. The voice continued in her head.

 

And also, first -

 

She tried to get up, fell down on the floor and promptly passed out.

 

- to faint. Well, I did warn you...

 

((OOC: Maybe a carefully-applied bucket of water would be beneficial at this point :D ))

[perine]

Kalinde watched in horror as Megain started to drink her milk first and then the wine. She was really going for it. But so was her stomach fighting against the liquid. Kalinde was just in time to step out of the way when Megain spat out her first swallows. The vomity smell made Kalinde force herself to keep from joining her in the bucket. She was only halfway done when Megain had the whole bottle down. Kalinde was not sure if that was wisdom or folly. She knew she would find her limit very soon and would have to force her way down. Megain had dropped unconscious. Kalinde left her bottle on the table and rushed to turn the girl so that if she would vomit again, she would not drown. She'd helped her brothers on many occasions when they had a bit too much to drink.

 

But Kalinde did not waste time. She was still a quarter of the bottle to go. Her vision was so blurry that she'd snapped the bottle to her teeth a few times already and managed to crack a lip in the process. But she did not care. The blood only gave the wine a different taste, it almost bettered it. Her hands shook as she took up the bottle and with four large  gulps she emptied it. The bad feeling came instantly and Kalinde dropped the bottle on her way to place it neatly on the table. The glass broke into many pieces as it collided with the floor. She rushed to one of the buckets closest and stared at the empty bottom. She was glad to have come across an unused bucket. Her hands shook and she barely managed to breath, but she could not bring herself to vomiting. She kept on swallowing and calming her breathing, tears falling down her eyes. "Come on, I'll feel better if I do this." she told herself firmly but still her body resisted.

 

With teary eyes, she lifted her head from the table and took the milk in her hand. The Mistress of Novices was more than cruel today. She knew that after drinking the glass of milk, if she did not vomit, then she'd be extremely ill tomorrow.  She'd done this once. On a dare, and she'd kept to her bed the next day with her stomach so painful that she had been sure that death would claim her. Kalinde closed her eyes and brought the glass to her lips so shakily that she spilled some one her dress. The milk tasted soothing in her mouth but once it started down to her stomach, she heard her belly rumble and felt it turn around. With her eyes still closed and breathing heavily Kalinde placed the glass on the table and managed to do so without dropping it. She stumbled back to the bucket, crashing into another Novice doing her penalty and crouched down. Her hair was already braided so she did not need to hold it back. All she had to do was open  her mouth and puke. She gagged, but nothing happened. Her stomach was growling loudly now and she lowered her head back into the bucket again. After five minutes she lifted her head back up and cursed silently. She had not been able to relax enough to empty the poisons in her stomach. Tomorrow would be from hell, as if the bottle of wine would not have made it certain already, the milk would.

[Tigara]

Tears flowed freely. Melianna dearly hated vomitting. The taste was worse than eating someone's bathroom refuse. And she was innocent! She watched Megain spill her insides into a bucket, and then Kalinde was leaning over another. Nothing for her yet. Her mind raced, tying to figure out a way to do it without vomitting. Maybe if she waited as long as she could after taking one, it wouldn't be as bad. It was worth a try. She walked over and picked up the warm milk, and threw her head back. The creamy milk rushed into her mouth, spilling some down her face and it ran down her chin.

 

Twenty mimutes later, she thought it relatively safe. She grabbed the wine bottle and re-demonstrated her display with the milk. Red wine ran down her chin and stained her white dress. She finished the bottle in only a minute and a half. She felt the traces of milk curdle in her stomch. It wasn't incredibaly bad though. She held it down quite well, but her stomach hurt something dreadful.

 

"If that is all, Darienna Sedai, I will be off to my room. Thank you for the lovely evening."  She started for the door, but as she approached, her vision faltered. It all faded away. She passed out right in front of the door, smashing her right eye against the doorknob. Blood covered her face, her eye lay on the floor barely attached to the socket. Had she been conscious, pain would have seared her body like nothing else.

 

Melianna

Bleeding

 

OOC: Note to the others, this happened right at the end.