The Butterfly [Attn: James]

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Jenny
"The Path of Daggers"
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PC: Larissa Saighan

The Butterfly [Attn: James]

Post by Jenny » November 7th, 2017, 1:49 am

Larissa Flames licked at the torn, mud-streaked skirts of the golden ballgown, sending smoke spiraling up into the night sky. Larissa watched with unconcealed satisfaction as it burned. It had been the last gift from her father. She had been so happy when she had received it - not due to gratitude, but because it had offered a way out. And although nothing had gone according to plan, she had still done it. She had escaped.

Her brother and sister would likely not learn that she was gone until tomorrow morning. She imagined her father returning home and suppressed a shiver. He will not be happy, she thought. She hoped that he wouldn’t be too harsh. Perhaps her sister could take her place as her father’s favorite, and all would be well…

Larissa tore herself away from her thoughts and focused again on the flames. Tia Sedai, who was the Mistress of Novices, had explained that the dress-burning ceremony symbolized the casting away of her former self. Like a cicada shedding its shell, Larissa thought. Or perhaps like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. She felt free and light, ready to take flight.

When only ashes remained of the dress, Tia Sedai sent Larissa to her new quarters to settle in. As Larissa walked down the halls, she counted the doors under her breath… one, two, three… and then pushed open the fourth door.

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James
"The Eye of the World"
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Joined: October 31st, 2017, 2:33 am
PC: Camille Alvandrin

Re: The Butterfly [Attn: James]

Post by James » November 7th, 2017, 3:07 am

Camille Camille studied the shapes drawn in the small, black booklet. Each page had a grid overlayed with long rows of numbered circles in red and black ink. At first glance, it seemed to be the record of hundreds of games of stones. Yet something about the shapes seemed… wrong. They were perfectly valid games, but as she played the games forward in her mind, the moves didn’t seem to make sense.

She sighed, slapped the book shut, and placed it back in a drawer with the rest of her books. She knew that she shouldn’t be spending so much time poring over that book. Likely, there wasn’t a puzzle at all. Frustrated, she took out another book - a history book assigned by one of her teachers - and flipped it open. Yet even as she tried to read, she saw patterns of red and black swimming before her eyes. She couldn't shake the feeling that the book was important, somehow. Why else would Sinuhe have carried it with her?

The door opened. She looked up and began to rise from her seat. When she saw the girl standing there, she sat back down and forced a cold smile.

“My name is Camille," she said without preamble. "You must be the new girl. Your side is over there."
> > >

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Jenny
"The Path of Daggers"
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Joined: September 11th, 2015, 6:19 am
PC: Larissa Saighan

Re: The Butterfly [Attn: James]

Post by Jenny » November 9th, 2017, 1:06 am

Larissa Larissa stopped when she saw the girl sitting inside. Relief washed over her as she identified the familiar cadence of the Cairhienin accent. But wait, why was this girl here? Her brow wrinkled in confusion.

The room was small and square. It held two identical sets of furniture: a bed, dresser, mirror, desk, and chair. Larissa didn’t understand why the room would be divided like this. Surely the Aes Sedai didn’t expect her to live with another person! This had to be some sort of horrid mistake!

She closed the door behind her and crossed her arms. Her chin lifted haughtily as she looked down her nose at the other girl.

"What are you doing here? Are you a servant?" she asked.

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James
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Joined: October 31st, 2017, 2:33 am
PC: Camille Alvandrin

Re: The Butterfly [Attn: James]

Post by James » November 9th, 2017, 6:43 am

Camille Camille narrowed her eyes and stood to show the ignorant chit that she was wearing a white, novice's dress. To her displeasure, she noticed that they were very nearly the same height, though Camille was perhaps a finger-width taller if she stood very straight.

"I am not a servant,” she said frostily. “I am a novice, like you. We will be living here together as roommates. See, this is my bed over here.”

She paused briefly, and then continued. “You will not touch my things,” she warned. “The Mistress of Novices keeps a willow switch on her desk for thieves.”
> > >

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Jenny
"The Path of Daggers"
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Joined: September 11th, 2015, 6:19 am
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Re: The Butterfly [Attn: James]

Post by Jenny » November 10th, 2017, 7:08 am

Larissa Larissa’s mouth dropped open. A roommate? How plebeian! She could hardly believe her ears. Her cheeks flushed when she realized that the other woman also wore novice whites. That was the sort of obvious thing only a newcomer to the Tower would miss.

A quick glance around the small room showed that there were no closets, no strategically placed nooks, no privacy. If she needed to undress, then she would have to do so with her roommate in the room. The color of her cheeks deepened. Light, the Aes Sedai couldn’t possibly expect her to undress in front of stranger! It would be scandalous! She took a deep breath and straightened to her full height, trying to recover some ground.

“Well, that can’t be right. I am Larissa of House Saighan," she said haughtily, emphasizing her family name. "You may have heard of it. This is ridiculous! I refuse to share a room with a stranger. And I am not a thief.”

Larissa wrinkled her nose. Why would this commoner - surely she was a commoner, because only a commoner could be so rude! - think that she would want to take her things? After all, she doubted that Camille had anything worth stealing.

“What about you? Are you just... Camille?"

The tone of her voice left very little doubt of her scorn.
Spoiler: show
(OOC: They are both so… prickly. This is so fun! What do you think of being frenemies?)

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James
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Joined: October 31st, 2017, 2:33 am
PC: Camille Alvandrin

Re: The Butterfly [Attn: James]

Post by James » November 10th, 2017, 4:37 pm

Camille It seemed that Larissa was not just an ignorant chit - she was a nobleborn ignorant chit. Camille could think of few worse combinations. Of course she had heard of House Saighan. Anyone who lived in the city knew them. They were among the most powerful Houses in Cairhien.

But there was something strange about Larissa’s behavior. Camille noted the blustery attitude, the scrawny, unhealthy build, the freckles on her cheeks from overexposure to sun. A well-bred High Lady would never allow her daughter to become so tanned. Nor would she tolerate such unbearable conceit. A lady was expected to be charming and graceful in all situations. And Larissa was very decidedly… not.

Larissa must not be very highly ranked, she deduced. That would explain the obvious chip in her shoulder.

Camille sat back down in her chair and folded her hands primly in her lap.

“My full name is Camille Alvandrin,” she said flatly. “My father was a swords instructor in Cairhien. He taught some of the young men of House Saighan. I have met some of them -” and kissed more than a few “- and their sisters, but never heard of you. How very strange.”

She smiled sardonically. “Anyways, you may lodge a complaint with the Mistress of Novices in the morning. But for tonight, if my presence bothers you, then feel free to sleep out in the hallway. I’m afraid that the floor isn’t so comfortable, however.”

Then she pointedly turned back to her book.

Inwardly, she sighed. This was not turning out to be a very auspicious beginning. She would much rather be on pleasant terms with her roommate. There was enough stress in ordinary novice life that she didn’t want to worry about Larissa, too.
Spoiler: show
[OOC: okay with me. sent you PM with ideas]
> > >

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Jenny
"The Path of Daggers"
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Joined: September 11th, 2015, 6:19 am
PC: Larissa Saighan

Re: The Butterfly [Attn: James]

Post by Jenny » November 13th, 2017, 1:33 am

Larissa Though Camille smiled, her eyes remained hard, glittering emeralds. Larissa’s temper flared.

“You can’t speak to me like that,” she huffed. “Who do you think you are? I’m telling my father about this! You’ll be gone before…”

Her voice trailed off as she suddenly came to herself and realized what she had said. Larissa stood there blinking stupidly, not quite sure what to do. Then abruptly, she spun on her heels, strode to the bed that Camille had pointed to as hers, and sat down with an angry flounce.

She was mortified. Using her father as a threat had been an old, awful habit. It had worked on servants and the common folk who lived on her family's estate - before they had all left, anyway - but it would never work again.

She would never see her father again. Not her mother, not the rest of her family. Not if she could help it. She didn't want to ever relive her past. She was on her own.

Suddenly she felt awfully alone.

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James
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Joined: October 31st, 2017, 2:33 am
PC: Camille Alvandrin

Re: The Butterfly [Attn: James]

Post by James » November 13th, 2017, 2:02 am

Camille I can and just did, she thought irritably.

"Oh, forgive me, Lady Larissa," she sneered. "I didn't realize your father had the ear of the Amyrlin Seat."

She slammed her book shut and glared at the other novice. To her surprise, she found Larissa sitting on her bed, staring down at her hands with reddened cheeks. Seemed like the prissy little lady had some shame after all. Camille grimaced.

"Look, I want this 'arrangement' as little as you do. But we both just have to deal with it. Keep your mouth shut, stay out of my way, and I will try to ignore your miserable existence. Now, go to sleep. We've got an early morning tomorrow."

After her fruitless study of Sinuhe's book and the intrusion of this horrible new girl, Camille couldn't find the willpower to return to her studies. It was getting late, anyways. She shoved her book into the desk drawer and stood. Grumbling under her breath, she readied herself for bed, and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
> > >

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Jenny
"The Path of Daggers"
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Joined: September 11th, 2015, 6:19 am
PC: Larissa Saighan

Re: The Butterfly [Attn: James]

Post by Jenny » November 13th, 2017, 3:46 am

Larissa Larissa gritted her teeth and forced herself to ignore the commoner. Her words stung, but Larissa would not allow herself to cry. She wouldn't! At least not where Camille could see.

She waited until she was sure that Camille was asleep before undressing for bed. Even so, she continued to blush and cast embarrassed glances over at the sleeping girl. Light, she had never imagined it would come to this! Undressing with a stranger in the room, how demeaning! She would have to see about erecting a screen for privacy. Surely the Aes Sedai wouldn't deny such a reasonable request.

She turned down the lantern and slipped into bed. Yet in the darkness, her thoughts continued to race. It was a long while before she finally drifted to sleep.

-----

Darkness. Fear. Pain. She ran through the overgrown garden of her family home. Though familiar, she felt a horrible sense of oppression. Trees towered over her, bare branches threatening to strike her. Vines snaked along the paths, tripping at her bare feet. Thorned brambles caught at her hair. The tattered remains of her golden ballgown trailed behind her.

She chanced a glance back and gasped. Her father was chasing her, looking just as she remembered on that last, dreadful night. Tall, with dark hair and a devilish grin that had once been handsome but was now cruel. He wore a wine-stained green jacket with embroidered sleeves, worked across the chest with the colored slashes of House Saighan - yellow, red, and silver.

Larissa ran faster. Yet just as she had failed as a little girl, she could not outrun him. He tackled her to the ground. Her hands clenched into fists and she hit him as hard as she could, but he caught her wrists and pinned her down.

Then he leaned closer so that she could smell the stench of liquor on his breath. Gagging, she tried to turn her head away.

"I've got you now, sweetheart," he whispered. "And I am never letting you go."


-----

Larissa woke up with a loud cry. For a terrifying moment she was trapped in her blankets and couldn't move. Flailing wildly, she ripped away the sheets and tossed them to a floor where they landed with a loud thump. Then she curled up, hugging herself and trembling. Her dream replayed in her mind. She couldn't help the pitiful whimpers that escaped with each shaky breath.

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James
"The Eye of the World"
Posts: 30
Joined: October 31st, 2017, 2:33 am
PC: Camille Alvandrin

Re: The Butterfly [Attn: James]

Post by James » November 14th, 2017, 3:59 am

Camille The scream yanked Camille from sleep and she tumbled out of bed. She fumbled for the lamp and unlatched the cover, allowing the candle within to light the room. Green eyes blinked blearily around the room before Camille remembered that she had a new roommate.

The other girl lay curled in her bed, crying pitifully. Her blanket had fallen to the floor and... Light, she was only wearing a thin night shift! Camille sat back down on her bed and determinedly kept her eyes away from the other novice's state of undress. She glanced around once again to reassure herself that there was no one else in the room.

"Larissa? What's wrong?" she asked.
> > >

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