Missing Books?? ATT: Claire, Taei, Oregon, Athine and Opal

[Guest nephitess]

IC: The past 3 years in the tower had made it so that that Zeveria knew her way around. Especially in her favourite place, the library. She was going there with some of her books to study and prepare for upcoming tests. She had her Ajah class and weave classes to prepare for also. Though she loved to learn she was tired. She needed something to spice up her life. Seeing a young TG trainee walk past Zeveria’s eyes follows him. he was tall and blonde. very striking.

 

‘I wonder…’ she thought wistfully

 

Shaking her head she stopped that thought in its tracts. Even if tower rules did not matter to her she had not the time. Using her foot to push open the door of the small study room she sat down and looked around. There were only a few tables here and it was usually quiet. She loved the smell of the library. A few years ago, she would have sneezed with the dust. A slight blush came across her face as she remembered knocking a shelve of books because the dust tickled her nose enough to make her sneeze. She then ended up having to reshelve the books along with some other novices. Those other girls had become close friends.

 

After a few moments a few other came in quietly and she smiled and nodded to them. They took seats and got to studying as she was. Reading about the rivalry between Tear and Mayen was not her favourite thing, stifling a yawn; she switched over to something more interesting. The Ogier and their steddings. This was interesting to her; she wanted to know why channelers could not feel the source there. It was fascinating to her. Then all of a sudden a finger poked her side. Jumping she looked behind her and saw her friend Ranine. With a smile and wink, Ranine sat down. They had been friends for a few years now and taken classes together and gotten in trouble together. Zeveria smiled and asked.

 

“Are you here to study? Or are you here to bug me?â€

 

With an offended look Ranine replied “to bug you of course†and then put a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. “I have a test to study for in my diplomacy class. My teacher is a hard nose.†Zeveria took her queue from her friend when she picked up her textbook and started in, taking notes.

 

It was at this point when they were reading, a brown sister came in. She looked a little distraught and confused.

 

Addressing all that were in the room she said…

 

“Children, I need your help. I have found that there are a few books missing. They cannot be found in our shelves and there is no note of them in the sign out book….â€

 

Giving the Sister her attention Zeveria listened to the Sisters instructions. She smiled, this was the sort of thing she needed. She looked at Ranine with an excited look. She wanted a little spice, what better than a mystery?

 

OOC: ok i hope this give you all a bit to go on. I'm excited to see how this devolopes. thanks for RPing with me! :D

[Opal]

Opal had never had much to do with books, oh she could read well enough but it wasn’t her favorite thing, she had come to hate the library in just a few short days that she had been at the White Tower. She found the huge wooden bound book about history she needed. She held the huge thing in her arms and made her way to the small study room off the main room. She nudged the door open with her ample hip, and dropped the book on the nearest table, with a small bang. She scowled at the other novice that was already there, she had nodded pleasantly at her, but Opal didn’t feel very pleasant.

 

Over the past few days she had done more back braking labor than she ever had, stupid to have novices washing floors. She grimaced remembering the trip to the MoN office, ridiculous to be punished like a naughty little girl.

 

She gingerly sat down at the table, opening the book she was aware of quite talking behind her, another novice had come in and was whispering with the first one. Opal didn’t know their names and didn’t care, they just another thing to irritate her, she scowled over her shoulder at them. The quieted down shortly.

 

Opal stared down at the open pages and tried to read, but lost interest quickly and started looking around at the others in the room. She had seen a few of them in the kitchen doing their own chores, but didn’t know their names.

 

The door opened and one of those Women came bustling in, she looked quite flustered, this pleased Opal, it was the first time she had seen any of these woman anything but composed.

 

Addressing all that were in the room she said.

 

“Children, I need your help. I have found that there are a few books missing. They cannot be found in our shelves and there is no note of them in the sign out book….â€

 

So what? Thought Opal, surly there were more than enough books left. Ridiculous, I don’t have time to hunt down missing books that are probably just miss shelved. She stopped listening and looked at her book again she didn’t really care about the history of the borderlands either. She supposed she should look for the books, she glanced at the other novices to see what they would do.

 

~Opal

[Oregon]

Ranine crept through the door into the crowded study room off of the main library. Zeveria, as expected, was studying intently at the long wooden table which dominated the narrow space. A grin – resisting suppression – spread across her face as she snuck up behind the other Novice and jabbed her playfully in the side – only barely resisting the urge to tickle her mercilessly.

 

Ambush!

 

Zeveria recovered quickly and gave her a mock-stern look.

 

“Are you here to study, or bug me?â€

 

“To bug you, of course,†Ranine replied flippantly. It would never do to have people realize that she actually took her studies seriously.

 

Zeveria feigned annoyance, but Ranine knew better. The girl was as easily distracted from her studies as Ranine herself, she just hid it better. She sighed. If only she had time for anything but studying right now, Ranine would’ve everything in her power to convince her friend to tag along on an adventure she’d been planning for some time. There was a certain Accepted who was getting a little too big for her breeches and Ranine knew that Zeveria would be willing to help put her in her place. Alas, school came first…and chores came second…and eating third…and sleeping fourth…it seemed like there wasn’t any time for mischief anymore.

 

Plopping down on one of the stools, Ranine dug out a thin volume from her book bag: “Dealing from Weakness: A History of the Firsts of Mayeneâ€. Not for the first time, she wished she’d managed to smuggle a little more wine into the Novice chambers during their last free day. A gentle mug full would take the edge of this particular reading. The subject itself was plenty fascinating – Mayene remaining independent of Tear over the centuries was nothing short of a miracle – but the author was dry beyond compare.

 

They were, of course, not the only Novices in the study room. Leila, Malana, and Keela were here as well. Ranine hadn’t spoken with those three in months, and wasn’t about to start doing so now. After the scrap over who was going to take the fall over the blown “Pepper Spiced Wine†prank (not a big hit with the visiting Tairen merchants!) the four girls hadn’t remained especially close. Pointedly, she ignored them (and they her). There was, however, a fifth Novice in the room.

 

This girl she did not recognize. Though a bit taller than Ranine herself, she was still short - though plump. Her long hair - too dark to be called truly blond, but too light to be called anything else - trailed most of the way down her back: a stark contract with Ranine’s close-cropped nearly raven colored locks. On an impulse, she guessed the girl might be from Ghealdan (or possibly Amadicia), though Ranine had only met one couple from there since her arrival at the tower.

 

Whoever she was, she was clearly unhappy with something…or someone. Before Ranine could make even a perfunctory effort at civility and introduce herself, however, the door to the small room flew open and in bustled a particularly scattered, and vaguely alarmed, seeming Brown. The Brown sketched a (in her mind) disastrous situation briefly for the Novices - too briefly, perhaps, for any of them to be of much help - glancing, almost plaintively (!), from one girl to the next.

 

Blast! It seemed like every time Ranine set foot in the library there was someone who needed help with something! A few years back, when she had first arrived at the tower, it had been a massive reshelving project prompted by a cataclysm of tumbling stacks and books. Since then it seemed as if it was always one thing, if not another, that needed helping in the library. She couldn't wait to make Accepted - although that would be some time, yet - and be able to delegate some of these interruptions to newer, more pliable, Novices. This, at least, hinted at something more interesting than digging through reams of books, searching for those missing few - although that's almost certainly what it would turn out to be, in the end. Most likely, some careless Novice or Accepted just stuck them wherever they'd fit in a hurry to avoid being late for her next activity.

 

Still, this was the first time Ranine could remember hearing of this many books disappearing from the library, though perhaps it simply was not the kind of thing normally shared with Novices. In either case, the woman - the Aes Sedai - was clearly rattled. You could make all the broad generalizations you wanted, but the truth was that most Browns weren't any flakier than other Aes Sedai - especially when it came to their books. You would as soon expect a Red to lose a man who could channel as a Brown to misplace even a single volume of text! Ranine could barely keep from rolling her eyes, however, at the realization that this particular Brown was doing nothing to dispel the Ajah's stereotypes.

 

"Aes Sedai? Pray tell which books are missing?

 

Ranine used her very most helpful, obsequious tone of voice, knowing all too well that it would ring false in the Aes Sedai's ears. She, of the Novices, never sounded that eager to please. She wasn't sure why she was trying to raise the Aes Sedai's hackles, other than the fact that she had a reputation to protect. She hadn't been sent to the Mistress of Novices in some time, and people were starting to talk that she'd turned over a new leaf. The woman only frowned at her disapprovingly as she explained what was missing. As the titles reached her ears, Ranine frowned. None of them were especially dangerous sounding, but she could think of a few Novices or Accepted who would be eager to grab at them for a little, ahem, extracurricular reading.

 

OOC: I posted this when I was *slightly* intoxicated. If it makes little sense, I’ll be sure to edit it tomorrow. I wasn’t sure quite where to take this post, other than an introduction to Ranine’s involvement. If there’s a direction you’d like me to head, feel free to PM me or point me there in an “ooc:â€. I’m excited to see where things go from here!

[Bastet]

Aithne squinted as she tried to read the tiny text on the spine of the book. She wasn't realy sure what she was looking for. Probably something more interesting than most books in the library yielded. She was hoping to find one of the real rarities of the library: a romance novel.

 

Aes Sedai frowned on such trivial reading, but Aithne was not yet Aes Sedai. She paid no heed to the others in the room, and no one seemed to notice her. All the better.

 

She ran her finger along the spines of the shelved books as she read the titles. There were so many histories and studies on governments. Light, would being an Aes Sedai be boring? She furrowed her eyebrows as she followed this train of thought. Most of the Aes Sedai she encountered did not seem bored.

 

Her thoughts were interrupted as a panicked Brown entered the library muttering about lost books. Aithne watched with disinterest as all the Novices in the room looked to each other for guidance. She chuckled to herself as she moved out of view and continued her hunt for trashy reading.

[Taei]

It was meant as a game. After all how do you get a Brown sister's attention? Loose some books is the surest bet. Taei was starting to wonder if they'd even notice when a Brown sister came bustling in. She recognized her as Fianna Sedai. Rather uncharacteristic for her, though, was the almost panic as she went to the first group of novices she spotted and said, “Children, I need your help. I have found that there are a few books missing. They cannot be found in our shelves and there is no note of them in the sign out book….â€

 

Looking between themselves the novices didn't seem to know what to say, finally, one of them responded, "Aes Sedai? Pray tell which books are missing?"

 

The sister kept enough of her wits about her to list off the four titles. "'Ogier Groves Today', 'Ter'angreal and their Uses', 'Legendary Artifacts', and 'Treaties and Agreements After the Breaking'. I just don't know where they could be. I don't know how they could have gone missing." The petite woman's pretty face was creased with worry. "It's just never happened and I don't know who could have pulled it off."

 

Taei snickered to herself. I'll give them clues, those poor novices, didn't mean for them to get caught up in this. Thinking back on it, she should have counted on the sisters asking novices or accepted for help. She had been careful in her selections and had hidden them expertly in the rooms of the library. It was after all a very big library.

 

OOC: Sorry for the delay... *sigh* The NSW Brown Sister's bio is here: http://www.whitetowerdiv.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=36

[Oregon]

What a strange day this was turning into, Ranine thought with a sigh. She had just wanted to go to her classes, do her studies, and her chores, and hopefully avoid the Mistress of Novices (for once) this evening. There was scarcely time for anything extra, anything unscheduled. So, naturally, Fianna Sedai would pick today to come inexplicably unhinged.

 

She was passionate and fiery – and normally quite together. Now, however, her voice was strained, nearly broken. She must be under quite a lot of pressure to take a tone so dangerously close to pleading with a group of Novices. It was vaguely disconcerting, to be honest. Especially considering how benign most of the volumes sounded.

 

Of the four, only Ter’angreal and Their Uses sounded as if it had more than the slightest potential for mischief. She supposed that Treaties and Agreements After the Breaking would be dryly fascinating to some – herself included, she admitted grudgingly – but hardly the sort of thing someone would steal.

 

“I just don't know where they could be. I don't know how they could have gone missing. It's just never happened and I don't know who could have pulled it off.â€

 

Ranine opened her mouth – she wasn’t quite sure what she was going to say, but to offer an assurance of some kind to the Aes Sedai – when Fianna seemed to abruptly recover her composure, plus a small helping of peevishness over embarrassing herself in a room full of Novices.

 

“Just find the books, children, and report to me when you are finished. They must still be in the library. They must.â€

 

A chorus of “Yes, Aes Sedai†rang through the room, and Fianna Sedai swept out with far greater bearing than she had only moments earlier. Ranine flopped back onto her stool and sighed. From the grim looks they exchanged, neither Zeveria nor Opal looked to possess any more enthusiasm for this wholly unexpected task than Ranine could muster.

 

Four books missing and only three Novices to find them, Ranine mused idly – or, wait! It was only a glimpse, but she was nearly certain she had seen one more figure slip furtively past the door. An impish grin spread across Ranine’s face once more.

 

“I’ll be back in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. Less.â€

 

Ranine darted back into the main chamber beyond the crowded study area. She really was only gone for a matter of seconds before she returned with another Novice in tow.

 

She tapped the other girl playfully on the head.

 

“I hereby deputize you to our cause.â€

 

Aithne did not appear amused. Clearly she'd been listening in, and hoping to avoid active participation.

 

Ranine continued speaking.

 

“There are four of us. Four missing books. It’s perfect, right?â€

 

The other girls looked at her like she was crazy. Ranine rolled her eyes.

 

“All right, it’s a far cry from perfect, but it could be some fun, if we let it. We each pick one to find, and the first one to find their book wins!â€

 

It was a pretty lame game, even she had to admit, but her competitive juices were definitely flowing; anything to break up the tedium.

 

“Which books do you guys want? I’ll take Treaties and Agreements, if there’re no objections.â€

 

ooc: wasn’t sure how you wanted to incorporate you into this post, Taei. I suppose it’d be best if you approached us, and found some subtle way to offer hints.

[Opal]

“Yes Aes Sedia.†Opal chorused with the other girls. Not that she wanted too, but as always here in the Tower, she had no choice. Opal shared a unenthusiastic look with the taller novice. She plopped down on her stool. Glancing at her book one last time she closed it and sighing.

 

“I’ll be back in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. Less.†The shorter novice said suddenly, grinning and dashing off.

 

Returning with another unhappy looking novice, “I hereby deputize you to our cause.†she tapped the girl on the head. “There are four of us. Four missing books. It’s perfect, right?â€

 

Opal looked at her dubiously, perfect is not the word she would have used. She groaned under her breath, “Save me from cheerful, crazy people.†she thought, rubbing her forehead.

 

“All right, it’s a far cry from perfect, but it could be some fun, if we let it. We each pick one to find, and the first one to find their book wins!†She said rolling her eyes. “Which books do you guys want? I’ll take Treaties and Agreements, if there’re no objections.â€

“What!?†Opal said standing up, “Why don’t we each take a section of the library and look. Wouldn’t that be more efficient? Just write down the names of the books and have at it. Your game sounds like it will just take more time.†She crossed her arms under her breasts, “I don’t know about you but I hardly have time enough to do my own work, let alone this ridiculous duck hunt.†She tapped her foot and sent appealing looks at the other two girls, surely they would see sense.

 

~Opal

[Oregon]

It just boiled her blood.

 

She’d barely spoken with the girl – Opal – but their few interactions had not been pleasant. Not exactly unpleasant either, Ranine admitted – but she suppressed that thought quickly, before it could dampen her righteous indignation.

 

The worst of it was that – of course! – the other girl’s plan made by far the more sense, and Ranine knew it. She’d known it all along, but until this…this…Ghealdanin hussy opened her mouth, she had figured to be able to convince Zeveria to go along with it, and shy Aithne, too. Of course, they would know sense when they heard it. So much for having any fun.

 

She could feel the set of her jaw, and knew she must be glaring viciously at the smug novice among Novices. She knew Zeveria and Aithne’s eyes were on her – no doubt waiting for her to do something absurdly stupid, and probably hoping she wouldn’t.

 

Her father had described her temper as volcanic: dormant for great periods, but explosive when finally released. In all the time since her arrival at the Tower, Ranine’s temper had only fully emerged twice. Alas, both girls had been present on for at least one of those occasions. And so it was that both knew her as…unpredictable.

 

Then, as unbidden as ants at a picnic, reason made an entrance into her decision making process. The simple fact of the matter was that it wasn’t unreasonable to want to get done with this foolish chore as quickly as possible, and it wasn’t charitable to think so cruelly of the girl just because she has seen straight through Ranine’s own foolishness. She blushed a little bit.

 

Sighing heavily, she forced a lopsided smile towards the other girl.

 

“I suppose that does make some sense. Which wing did you want to search?â€

 

She told herself she wasn’t being agreeable just to repudiate the Mistress of Novices’ claims. She could so compromise. Did it all the time.

 

She blushed again.

[Taei]

Thinking of this as the perfect moment to put her plan into action Taei rounded the corner in time for the girls to notice she was there. "Was that Fianna Sedai I saw a moment ago? Quite unusual to see her in such a state. I wonder whatever is the matter."

 

Perfect plan. Just tell them a few things to lead them on the right track and all will be well. Suppressing the urge to grin she kept the confused look on her face while the novices explained their plight.

 

OOC: Going fabulously, I do believe. :D

[Guest nephitess]

OOC: you guys have done great!! Thank you for keeping up the thread. Sorry for not being here, I’ll try better!! *blushes*

 

IC: Zeveria listened to “discussionâ€. Zeveria knew Ranine to well and had an idea that she was going to get upset. She could imagine what the woman was thinking. Shaking her head she about to speak up and say that Opals idea seemed better to her. She knew that Ranine might get mad at her. It would serve her right for the incident in the MON’s office!! Zeveria was still steamed about that one, though she was talking to Ranine now. As she opened her mouth Ranine said something surprising!!

 

“I suppose that does make some sense. Which wing did you want to search?â€

 

That made her smile at her friend, she was learning to control that temper after all. Zeveria understood how much effort that must have taken for the fiery girl. Ranine could be a lioness with a bad tooth when she set mind to it. Smiling and doing her best to not giggle at her friend’s bright red face, Zeveria turned at the sound of foot steps.

 

Taei, an accepted who Zeveria knew as kind and gentle, came around the corner. Zeveria dropped an appropriate curtsy. Taei was nice but the blonde haired accepted would not ignore rudeness. She had a confused look on her face as she looked behind herself after the retreating Brown Sister.

 

"Was that Fianna Sedai I saw a moment ago? Quite unusual to see her in such a state. I wonder whatever is the matter."

 

Being the first to rise from the wave of curtsies, Zeveria took the moment to explain what happened.

 

“….that was when she came and asked to look for these books.†she handed Taei the list that she had written down. “We were just planning to each take a section on the building and meet back when we find the books but what would you say the best way to find them would be??â€

[Bastet]

Aithne was too annoyed by it all to give her input. Of course, Opal's plan was better, but Aithne was not about to argue with Ranine. She was quite suprised the other Novice disagreed with Ranine at all. Most girls knew better, but obviously Opal didn't know Ranine all that well.

 

All was well until Ranine cast a questioning glance at Aithne and Zeveria. She wants us to agree with her, of course. She was just about to work up the courage to suggest Opal's plan when a familiar Accepted interrupted the conversation.

 

Whew.

 

It still didn't get her out of having to search for the books, but it did give her respite from Ranine's fiery temper.

 

[ooc: meh, I'm so uninspired. Maybe I'll do better once this really gets going. :o]

[Opal]

Opal suppressed a mental sigh, when the other girl agreed with her. She may not like being here one bit, that didn’t mean she needed enemies.

 

“I suppose that does make some sense. Which wing did you want to search?â€

 

Opal started to shrug, to say it didn’t matter, when a blond accepted came in.

 

"Was that Fianna Sedai I saw a moment ago? Quite unusual to see her in such a state. I wonder whatever is the matter." She asked.

 

Opal dropped a curtsy, to her but stayed silent. Accepted were only a step below Aes Sedia, Opal did not trust them. She listened to the other novice explain. This was going to take forever, she had studying to do, and more chores and things. She hid her irritation, trying to stay calm, maybe this accepted could help them.

 

~Opal

 

Ooc: Sorry, all my creativity is going into NaNoWriMo

[Oregon]

Was Zeveria giggling at her? Ranine arched an eyebrow at her friend. Surely not.

 

She rolled her eyes, and sighed heavily -- faux dramatically -- at the other girl, but could barely stifle a giggle of her own. This whole afternoon was turning into a bad joke. They'd never get out of here at this rate.

 

It was at this moment that Taei Mirel, one of the Tower's few Brown aspirants (and likely to be the Tower's next Brown Sister), floated into the room. The blond accepted was very tall, taller than many men even, and her white-blond hair ran to near her knees. (Meaning, that the Accepted's hair was nearly as "tall" as she was, Ranine thought with a snort). Her coloration - hair, skin, eyes - were all very fair. Very fair. Ranine had seen blue eyes aplenty since she left her childhood home several years before, but never any so light as Taei's. What she looked like more than anything was an old Illianer watercolor she had seen a reproduction of in the Tower's library. The colors muted and delicate, almost ethereal. Absently, Ranine wondered where the other woman was from.

 

As usual, Taei's otherwise delicate fingers were marred by numerous streaks and splotches of dried ink. They reminded her of the tabac stains on her father's hands (her father, of whom she had not thought in many weeks), and she supposed that the written word was as compelling a habit, in it's own way, as her father's pipe had been for him. On the other hand, Ranine reflected, words never made you wheeze and cough up black mucus. Though it was a funny thought.

 

"Was that Fianna Sedai I saw a moment ago? Quite unusual to see her in such a state. I wonder whatever is the matter," Taei asked nonchalantly.

Zeveria, the first out of her curtsy, outlined the situation for the Accepted, who frowned and nodded thoughtfully.

 

As Taei outlined a plan for them to follow, Ranine found herself noddingly approvingly. It was a sensible plan, and Taei had saved her from implementing Opal's suggestion, so she was feeling charitable. Plus, when had the blond-haired Accepted ever steered her wrong?

 

It was only later that Ranine -- nursing a particularly unpleasant set of welts (Faerzyne Sedai seemed to switch Ranine harder each time she was sent to the Mistress' office) -- would wonder why she had trusted the Accepted so completely, and cursed herself for being so gullible.

 

-----

 

ooc: I assume something's going to go wrong in this "search", and I'm staking my claim to whatever disaster we've got coming! ;)