Can't you take a JOKE!?! (Attn: Rossa)

[Seiera]

Elyna breathed deeply, inhaling the fumes of the cakes she had just finished making to help out in the kitchen. As she scurried to place the cakes in reaching distance of the serving women, she smiled to herself. This is what makes life worth living. Cooking for hours on end until you smell just as delicious as the food you're making. I would stay here forever. And it seemed like she had been.

 

She had been living in the tower for six years already and for the last year, it seemed like she was going nowhere. Elyna had made quick progress in her lessons but she had exerted no effort to push them to the next level. The ones in charge seemed to notice this because she was yet to be notified of a raising. This didn't bother Elyna at all. She had come along way in retaining her mental stability again and she didn't want the threat of losing it again.

 

After Elyna put down the tray of food, she smiled at the cook and waved to everyone as she stepped out and walked back towards her room. On the way back, she stopped into the library to check on something for a small assignment she needed to prepare for. As she was looking around, she caught a glimpse of someone sitting by herself with some paper. On paying a bit more attention, she noticed the woman was drawing. As she continued to watch her, the woman looked up and saw her. Elyna smiled and blushed, deciding to scurry back to her purpose lest she appear odd.

 

As she turned around the corner, she looked up to see the woman was following her with her eyes. Elyna blushed deeper, adorning a look of confusion, before she look to her left and found the book she was searching for. She smiled and opened it, flipping to the page she was intending to read. As she stood there, reading over the page, Elyna got the notion to look back in the woman's direction. When she did, she noticed the woman seemed to be drawing her now. Why is this woman so interested in me..? As she began to puzzle over this, she dropped the book and fell to her side as another woman walked around the corner and bumped into her.

 

"Nnnnn! Ow!" was Elyna's reaction as she sat back up, rubbing her arm and looking around for the book she dropped. When she found it, she stopped consoling herself and stood up with the book in her hands. She looked around to see if she was in danger of being bowled over again and apologized to the woman at the same time. It was at this point Elyna decided perhaps it would be a good idea to just take the book with her and read it somewhere safer. As she turned to leave, she noticed the woman who had been drawing was chuckling to herself and drawing something furiously. Remembering that the woman had been watching her, Elyna blushed and a little bit of anger crept over her face.

 

Dusting her dress off, Elyna walked over to the woman and stood in front of her, saying, "Um.. ma'am, what are you drawing of me that is so funny..?" Elyna was a little tense about approaching the woman in this manner, but she her pride was hurt just a little too much to let it slide.

[Winter Mist]

~Rossa~

 

Scratch

 

Well, so much for making notes. Everything Rossa had started to write today was definitely not coming out the way she intended. Her copperplate handwriting was clear enough to come up to her mother’s standards, the Light rest her soul, but the meaning of the words was somehow lost with other meaningless drivel; barely covering what she had understood from the class and turning it into barely literate, childish prose. An angry sigh escaped her lips, curling her dark hair. Just how was she supposed to learn if she could not read her own notes? Her pencil flickered to one corner of her paper, drawing an idle vignette of some Accepted pretending to be Aes Sedai; the banded hems of their dresses flicking up as they moved with the haste those clad in white had to adopt when late for chores or classes. Their noses were almost vertically in the air in her sketch, and while trying to glide like swans, Rossa’s pencil captured the haste of their movements and it made them look more like geese being herded than dignified initiates of the White Tower. She could not help but chuckle at it as her mind made up a caption for the scene.

 

Stubborn birds such as these take only a little preparation before they are fit for Sunday dinner.

 

It soothed her somewhat to know that she had not lost her touch. Ever since she had arrived at the White Tower and had a few spare moments, Rossa liked to sit in the library with a book nearby and some paper and a pencil, and watch the comings and goings. She could do research if it was quiet, but with her keen eyes and analytical brain it was far more interesting to see who was doing what; certain people going to certain shelves which, after a careful examination of the shelf in question would reveal what the person was looking into. For the most part it was nothing but assignments, but every so often Rossa would gain a glimpse of an Aes Sedai poring over the shelves looking for books on a certain country, different weaves and their uses and all manner of things that, with the right kind of mind, would give a fairly clear indication of what might be going on in the world outside. True, she was in danger of people being under the impression that she aspired to the Brown Ajah, spending as much time in libraries as she did, but all knowledge was useful and it did make for some humorous sketches. Casting a mahogany coloured eye around the room, she spied an attractive redheaded novice looking for a book, appearing like a little bird looking for crumbs on a cold winter’s day. Their eyes met, and the little bird blushed a little and went back to looking for the tome she needed.

 

Rossa’s fingers twitched, knowing that in her mind’s eye a sketch was forming and, unbidden, her pencil started flickering across the page. Boxed off from the other picture, she started by drawing the flowing lines of the redhead’s novice dress, giving it a larger rear than the girl had to allow for a tail, and little claws now peeked out from underneath. She paused for a moment, looking at her model, and smiled as she saw her drop her book when someone walked into her, and then she resumed drawing, adding a little cake to the corner of the picture and completing the head so that the woman had a nose that resembled a beak and darting eyes. Oh, how she smiled when she saw the finished result. A flame-haired woman in a novice’s white dress with a few characteristics enhanced to make her resemble more of the bird she acted like, and a tail. The book was tucked under one arm and, as it usually did, the caption flowed from her mind ready to write underneath when the sketch was finished.

 

…The lesser-spotted Novice Finch is easily recognisable by the two bright red patches of colour on her cheeks… More would follow, but Rossa wanted the picture done first. Mid-stroke, Rossa looked up, hearing a voice that brought her back to the present.

 

"Um, Ma’am, what are you drawing me that is so funny…?"

 

Light! No one had seen her sketches since in a fit of temper she had left some over the walls of the Blue Ajah quarters depicting the tutor that had given her lessons in poses that reflected the gossip of the Novices and Accepted alike. It was a way of calming down for her, a way of releasing her temper without shouting at anyone or, on the other hand, getting punished for behaviour unfitting of a novice. Unless the person had specifically upset her, they never saw the artwork she wrought though. Rossa felt momentarily guilty. Thankful to her mother for all those lessons in Daes Dae’mar when she was growing up, Rossa kept her chin up and started speaking.

 

“It’s nothing, honestly, just an odd sketch I was doing.†Protectively, Rossa picked up the paper and looked at it so the other woman couldn’t see it, before putting it down on the table again, face down. “It was a study of how people can sometimes be like animals without realising it.â€

[Seiera]

“It’s nothing, honestly, just an odd sketch I was doing," said the woman as she placed her paper down in a way that it could not be seen. “It was a study of how people can sometimes be like animals without realising it.†Elyna blushed deeply and a look of incredible hurt crept over her face.

 

She could not help but stare at the woman as her mouth tried to work the words she had meant to say. She began gripping the book again and again as if trying to let some of the pressure out. "How can you say that? You drawing a picture of me is just odd? That I'm like an animal? Praytell, what type of odd 'animal' did you decide to cast me as?" She was doing her best to keep her voice down, but the pain was quite evident. Her face looked more upset than angry, given that she was never quite one to get very angry with someone.

 

Catching herself before she exploded, Elyna looked to one side and then leaned forward as if to aide her in being quieter and said in a hushed voice, "It is one thing to stare at me and draw me without my permission, but in such an unflattering way as that? That is not very nice at all, ma'am. I believe that if you are to draw something, you should at least choose a more polite way to do it." Standing straight again after she had finished, she closed her eyes momentarily and let out a small sigh. "Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" Why did she feel she had to say that? Now I'm acting motherly. I just need to leave.. but now I want to hear her say her piece. She should at least apologize.

[Winter Mist]

~Rossa~

 

Rossa bit her lip. Certainly the novice had been less than happy upon seeing the vignette of herselt and, in spite of all of her conditioning to meet dignitaries or royalty; she was completely out of her depth. Here, at the White Tower, rank mattered for naught, especially amongst the initiates. The sole remaining heiress and high seat of House Venye finally realised that she was denied even that much of a memory of her family, no way to honour them and no way to make them proud. Her throat thickened, trying to swallow a lump of remembered grief. All because of a drawing? It was not fair!

 

Cracks were beginning to form in the icy façade she had seemingly worn since she was six years old, and deemed too old for dolls. She found some pleasure in drawing and even here, people were trying to deny her it. She wished she’d never come here…

 

At least Rossa had not made her resemble a Trolloc or Shadowspawn of some sort. Birds were at least graceful! Training had made her want to turn on her heel and walk off without dignifying the uptight novice with an answer. Her epiphany, however, had meant that the woman was her equal. A whole new set of rules to adjust to, and it did not seem possible to go through her life at the Tower without breaking some or all of them at some point. She sighed and unbidden, a pout formed on her face; remnant traces of childishness never allowed out, forced into a maturity which, at the moment Rossa resented. For the umpteenth time since her arrival, Rossa blinked back tears.

 

Take a hold of yourself, girl!

 

Silently, she berated herself for almost displaying such a weakness. She had been here long enough to know these things – she needed to deal with it and move on. What to say to the upset novice though? In this situation, acting as an Aes Sedai would likely result in more Illuminator’s fireworks, but she was not the kind of person to back down if she thought she was right. Rossa was definitely not a candidate for the Gray Ajah, even though diplomacy had been thrust upon her since she was old enough to read. All those destined to rule or possibly rule as the High Seat of a noble House were expected to know how to be diplomatic.

 

“An Aes Sedai must know the respect she is due, true, but she must also endure teasing or slights. That much I know from before I even came here.†With deliberate care, Rossa put the pencil down and started to tear across the paper. “I have been encouraged to not what I see by a few of the Aes Sedai themselves. I am sorry if my grip on reality is a bit painful. You do not know my life.†A tear crept across the paper, increasing the rip.

[Seiera]

After a while, Elyna began to see the signs of a moral quandry go through the woman's head. Elyna was not sure what was the matter here, all she had wanted to point out was that she wasn't pleased at the way the woman had blatantly been laughing at her and writing her off as a silly "song-bird" and thought herself very funny and special in the process. That wasn't very nice to Elyna at all.

 

She almost looked as if she was going to cry, but then she put her pencil down, regained her composure and began to rip the drawing. “An Aes Sedai must know the respect she is due, true, but she must also endure teasing or slights," she said. "That much I know from before I even came here. I have been encouraged to not what I see by a few of the Aes Sedai themselves. I am sorry if my grip on reality is a bit painful. You do not know my life.†Elyna's face was that of shock. Without enough time to think of her next action, her hand shot down to the woman's hands on her own paper to stop them from ripping it even more. She made sure to grasp the woman's tearing hand very calmly as if to communicate her need to stop ripping the drawing. Making sure that no one around would notice, Elyna quickly grasped onto Saidar and repeated what she knew of the Mending weave to repair the drawing and then quickly let go of it. I surely hope no sisters in here caught that.. it should have been fast enough that no one would have noticed the importance.

 

Elyna grasped the woman's other hand with her own and looked up at her. "Now now, there's no reason to go tearing up your art work, I didn't say it was bad. I merely said that I didn't appreciate being the joke of the day for your paper. It is easy for an Aes Sedai to shrug off insults because she has gone through much more and means much more than we novices do. I am afraid that you are right, I do not know your life. I do not even know your name. For beginners, mine is Elyna al'Tyn, of the al'Tyn House in Caemlyn. Everything has been scary to me, ever since I was kidnapped.. the world is so much bigger outside Caemlyn. Something I'd like to pose to you, as a little wisdom my father always loved to impart to me: While one should always be prepared to put up with insults and slights, that does not make it right to give them insults or slights." Elyna smiled at the woman, taking her hands away and winking. "I do not think it would be right to have talked to my insultor for so long without knowing her name, so if it does not bother you, could you introduce yourself?"

[Winter Mist]

~Rossa~

 

So, there was another novice of noble birth, Andoran this time. Rossa wondered if the spark was indiscriminate when it came to which social classes could channel. She noticed the other woman looking at her oddly and realised she had still not answered the question. To reveal whom she was rekindled the old memories; to relive the searing heat and crackling flames. At least she hadn’t torn up her drawing…

 

“My name is Rossa Venye. I didn’t think we were supposed to talk about before we came here, but I am from Ebou Dar in Altara. My family is … was well-known and respected at the Tarasin Palace.†Rossa felt like talking. Whether the tears would fall or not was another thing entirely. She took a deep breathe, grateful for the understand in Elyna al’Tyn’s eyes.

 

“Suffice to say, I am the High Seat of House Venye now. My family burnt to death, all of them. It was a miracle I escaped. I managed to get to a village nearby and collapsed on the doorstep of an inn. I didn’t know it at the time, but there was an Aes Sedai there, who healed me and told me the news. My mother and father, sisters and brother …†She trailed off, a tear rolling down her cheek. Biting her lip, she forced herself to continue, albeit in an anguished tone.

 

“Rumours said the fire was political. I thought I could learn more from Tar Valon. I’ll bring honour back to my family’s name, one way or the other!†Rossa fell silent, staring at her drawing.

 

 

OOC - sorry for the short post - have been a bit busy today :(