05-02-2017, 09:33 AM
An Accepted’s dress rarely needed such special attentions – few were the times it was ever truly dishevelled – but every initiate learned the tricks to keep herself presentable, when not to do so laid her open to easily avoidable penance. It was a mindless chore, and strangely pleasant to slip into after the intense emotions of the evening. She brushed the sand from her skin meticulously, and used the power to assemble it neatly; not out of care for the servant whose job it would be to remove it, but with the sort of efficiency ingrained in one used to picking up after herself. The power coiled to pull the last remnants of damp from nearly-dry fabric, but the more mundane efforts of a towel were employed to smooth over her skin. Once clean, the dress slipped on as easily as it had slipped off, and she fastened it with only half a mind. Her thoughts drifted to all possible reactions to her absence, and the ways she could manoeuvre herself beyond the reach of lasting consequences. There was no real fear, though potentially her punishment could be severe. Hard to say until she saw Liridia’s face, and even that might reveal nothing. Truthfully it was more likely to be Fate who provided judgement; it was her who held all the strings, after all.
She was aware of Jai in her periphery, but oblivious to any channeling bar its physical manifestation in the corner of her eye, or sparked in a mirror’s reflection. Even that she paid little mind, focused on the precision of her own tasks, and working with the sort of speedy skill born of habit. She used a mirror to fix her hair, but aside from a cleanse of saidar was rather lackadaisical in its treatment. It tumbled soft glossy waves with little effort, and she left it to its natural design down her back. Done, she leaned against a drawer unit, resting comfortably on the heels of her hands, and watched the remainder of Jai’s mindless routine; absorbing the events of the day as her gaze followed the climb of buttons – absorbing him. The sheer normality of dressing felt surreal, and twisted something at once both pleasant and painful in her stomach. When he caught her looking, her only reaction was a face that softened into the sort of smile contained more in eyes than mouth. The silent amusement of secrecy.
That smile touched her lips more fully as he was hit by a gentler epiphany than the last, but she gave no answer. His tangled relationship with Daryen was not an affair she would remark on; the delicacy of his unconscious trust not something she would prod, lest it shatter. She was sincere in her lack of judgement; distant from the responsibility of leading him to that realisation, or the satisfaction of having done so. Just glad that through the darkness of his paranoia he’d finally understood he was not without allies; though the light burn Daryen to oblivion if he should cut the fragile thread of Jai’s faith in him, intentionally or otherwise.
Patient through the tugging at his uniform and painstaking artistry of his hair, her face was disconcertingly even as she straightened in assessment of his proud presentation. Teasing his charming arrogance with complete lack of amusement; though only if, by now, he didn’t recognise that familiar streak of playfulness in those ghostly eyes. “By that logic, you must be quite the hero.”
Her tone was dry, but the heat of her gaze as she passed obscured the sarcasm to something teasingly seductive; a last breath of desire before the door opened and expelled them from their brief escape. But she left its embrace without regret; ever marching onwards, never looking back. Whatever consequences waited; Liridia's judgement or Imaad's machinations, she would never lament walking through that Gate. Or slipping provocatively backwards into that ocean.
Her lips taunted an unashamed smirk for the frowning guard. Disapproval, even misplaced, was familiar territory; she cared little and less for the opinions of unimportant strangers. Inclined to revel in being brazen, amused by the implication, she slipped her arm in his. The danger of being caught on the beach had been one thing; a risk that tested even her self-control, but playing with this kind of fire was like idle entertainment. Liridia might object, but it contravened no rule. An Aes Sedai couldn’t act on rumour alone; and there would be rumour in a place so networked with eyes and ears. Ironic that Nythadri’s dire reputation might provide the perfect shield. So many of the things whispered about her were so preposterous, that this only tallied another absurdity. What Accepted would be so foolish? As such, sneaking in separately would only look guilty. She shrugged.
“That guard will talk. In places like this especially, it’s better to assume you have no secrets. But admit to none.”
A rather layered advice; she smirked and caught his eye as she said it, the elbow of the arm slipped through his jabbing him lightly in the ribs. “And shove what in their faces, Jai? All I remember is a perfectly innocent walk along the beach. You were quite the gentleman.”
She was aware of Jai in her periphery, but oblivious to any channeling bar its physical manifestation in the corner of her eye, or sparked in a mirror’s reflection. Even that she paid little mind, focused on the precision of her own tasks, and working with the sort of speedy skill born of habit. She used a mirror to fix her hair, but aside from a cleanse of saidar was rather lackadaisical in its treatment. It tumbled soft glossy waves with little effort, and she left it to its natural design down her back. Done, she leaned against a drawer unit, resting comfortably on the heels of her hands, and watched the remainder of Jai’s mindless routine; absorbing the events of the day as her gaze followed the climb of buttons – absorbing him. The sheer normality of dressing felt surreal, and twisted something at once both pleasant and painful in her stomach. When he caught her looking, her only reaction was a face that softened into the sort of smile contained more in eyes than mouth. The silent amusement of secrecy.
That smile touched her lips more fully as he was hit by a gentler epiphany than the last, but she gave no answer. His tangled relationship with Daryen was not an affair she would remark on; the delicacy of his unconscious trust not something she would prod, lest it shatter. She was sincere in her lack of judgement; distant from the responsibility of leading him to that realisation, or the satisfaction of having done so. Just glad that through the darkness of his paranoia he’d finally understood he was not without allies; though the light burn Daryen to oblivion if he should cut the fragile thread of Jai’s faith in him, intentionally or otherwise.
Patient through the tugging at his uniform and painstaking artistry of his hair, her face was disconcertingly even as she straightened in assessment of his proud presentation. Teasing his charming arrogance with complete lack of amusement; though only if, by now, he didn’t recognise that familiar streak of playfulness in those ghostly eyes. “By that logic, you must be quite the hero.”
Her tone was dry, but the heat of her gaze as she passed obscured the sarcasm to something teasingly seductive; a last breath of desire before the door opened and expelled them from their brief escape. But she left its embrace without regret; ever marching onwards, never looking back. Whatever consequences waited; Liridia's judgement or Imaad's machinations, she would never lament walking through that Gate. Or slipping provocatively backwards into that ocean.
Her lips taunted an unashamed smirk for the frowning guard. Disapproval, even misplaced, was familiar territory; she cared little and less for the opinions of unimportant strangers. Inclined to revel in being brazen, amused by the implication, she slipped her arm in his. The danger of being caught on the beach had been one thing; a risk that tested even her self-control, but playing with this kind of fire was like idle entertainment. Liridia might object, but it contravened no rule. An Aes Sedai couldn’t act on rumour alone; and there would be rumour in a place so networked with eyes and ears. Ironic that Nythadri’s dire reputation might provide the perfect shield. So many of the things whispered about her were so preposterous, that this only tallied another absurdity. What Accepted would be so foolish? As such, sneaking in separately would only look guilty. She shrugged.
“That guard will talk. In places like this especially, it’s better to assume you have no secrets. But admit to none.”
A rather layered advice; she smirked and caught his eye as she said it, the elbow of the arm slipped through his jabbing him lightly in the ribs. “And shove what in their faces, Jai? All I remember is a perfectly innocent walk along the beach. You were quite the gentleman.”