Eeny meeny miny moe [attn: Elia/Craig]

[Jon]

Phineas

A summons to an Aes Sedai’s quarters was normally a moment of anxiety for Phineas, at least the first time he was visiting said Sister’s apartments. He had been summoned several times since receiving his pin, but he was more comfortable when summoned to an Asha’man’s apartments. Perhaps, it was just his natural preference of men over women. There were also the chills that he received whenever a woman was channeling nearby. Walking through any Ajah’s quarters sent shivers down his spine. Those shivers only intensified when he knew a Sister waited at the end of his long walk. It was not quite a walk of shame; in fact, it was more a walk of honor. For a Dedicated to be summoned to an Aes Sedai was not unusual, but it was not exactly common either. After all, what could a woman teach a man? Saidin and Saidar were so different, and he could not see a woman’s weaves. The hallways of the Indigo Ajah’s quarters were the most familiar quarters out of the eight. His own apartments were on the opposite side of the Tower, closer to the White and Yellow Ajahs and the Warder Yards. While this gave him very interesting views from his window, especially when the Warders practiced without their shirts, he had become used to the trek through the Tower to the Indigo quarters. The hallway itself was nothing special. Its decorations suited the Indigo, with the Ajah’s color most prominent in the floor tiles. Phineas had been instructed which door to approach, so he counted in his head as he made his way down the hall towards the Novice and Soldier quarters just outside the Tower. Finding the appropriate door, he knocked and waited for the familiar voice to admit him. Elias Sedai waited behind these doors. He had been summoned to her apartments. With his pin had come the wooing of the various Ajahs. However, Elia who had been a friend while they were both Soldier and Novice had summoned him to consider his choice of Ajah. Such was common for every mid-rank initiate of the Tower, even when everyone knew what Ajah they would choose. A voice rang out from inside, and Phineas stepped inside. “Elia Sedai,” he said with a bow. He was certain not to overstep propriety with an old friend. A Sister and a Dedicated could interact, but any overture of friendship must come from her. “As you called, so have I come,” he said with a salute.

[Craig]

Elia

Elia closed the doors to her bedroom to the sound of a soft click. With the bedroom sealed away, the size of her apartments were halved. For an Aes Sedai, she did not have a large room, but it was grandiose in comparison with what an Accepted had to make do with. Elia settled herself onto the chaise longue, lying back onto a selection of small cushions, and closed her eyes for a small spell. Finally, things had slotted into place, and she was very much where she wanted to be. Just in the privacy and seclusion of her own rooms, she wore the vine-covered shawl across her shoulders. Elia Sedai, she thought mirthfully. That is not going to grow old any time soon.

Some time must have passed, for when Elia reopened her eyes, the angle of the light shining into her room had changed. Motes of dust spun in the air, caught in the sunlight. She felt the heat against her pale skin, and adjusted how she was positioned. Far too easy to burn. How would it look for a sister to ask for Healing for some silly sunburn? She adjusted the shawl, covering up one patch of skin along her shoulders whilst exposing another.

She cast a glance around her room, wondering when she could start getting her own pieces of furniture made. It was quite a well decorated room as it was, but all of the upholstery was in shades of purple, and that seemed too on the nose. But the craftsmanship was all Ghealdean, in a beautiful amber wood that reminded her of golden roses. But the purple was a little vile. None of the new dresses she had acquired from Hama Valon were purple; at the moment, her dress was a mint green, with vinework around the cuffs and waist.

A knock came from her outer door, and she raised her head from the sofa to glance at it questioningly. She didn't respond immediately, instead rising from the seat and smoothing our her dress. "You may enter," she called.

The door that opened admitted a familiar Dedicated, who bowed quite promptly. "Elia Sedai. As you called, so have I come." Raising from the bow, he saluted.

Curiosity spiked in her, but the beautiful Shienaran kept it from the surface. I ordered no such summons. Clearly this was yet another machination of the Indigo Ajah. She'd been called to a great many meetings with fellow brothers and sisters, and had very odd guests drop in. As the newest member of the Ajah, it seemed as if she was meant to fall prey to a great many tricks. But this one she could handle with aplomb.

"Please, come in child." She gestured at one of the three chairs in the room, that made a circle with the chaise longue around a table. "I had heard you were newly raised to the pin, is that correct? I recall some time ago, we had a conversation about ter'angreal and cuendillar?" Elia took a short pause to return to the sofa, but she sat straight without the need for back support. "I had a feeling then that you may be inclined towards the Indigo Ajah. Was I correct in my assumption?"

[Jon]

Phineas

Phineas did as he was told, stepping into the Aes Sedai’s room and making sure the door was closed behind him. He crossed the room at her invitation, taking a seat in the chair that she had gestured to. “Yes, Aes Sedai,” he said in response to her question about their conversation. That felt like an eternity ago. They were both very different people. “I expressed my interest in the matter to the Master of Soldiers upon receiving the pin. He connected me with one of the Sitters for the Indigo.” That had started a process to receive lessons in those areas. It had not been an easy process, and Phineas had spent a lot of time in the Forge to work out some of his frustration about the situation. “I have been taking lessons with Asha’man Anoihan in the Vaults as a result of much discussion.” He doubted he had the self control to keep some of his frustration out from his tone, especially when he mentioned the discussion. Exhaling, however, he let the emotion drain from him. “I expected someone from the Ajah to invite me for a formal conversation,” he added, “but I was surprised when I was summoned to your quarters.” He had been surprised but also pleased. She was a friendly face. Phineas had expected that Anoihan would talk with him about the Ajah, but he must have been mistaken. He had some thoughts on his Ajah, and he was almost certain that he would pick the Indigo. Still, it would be good to talk to someone about the decision. Discreetly, Phin searched for Elia’s tea tray, which he was sure would be present. It was common for a Soldier or a Dedicated to be asked to pour tea for the Sisters and Brothers whenever they gathered together. As he searched, he noticed that Elia’s rooms were much larger than his, but that was to be expected. For an Aes Sedai’s rooms, they were perhaps small, which was also to be expected. Elia Sedai was newly raised herself, and she was not a Sitter, yet. If he had caught the measure of her in the Library that day, she was ambitious on top of Talented. She would find a chair in the Hall before the end of her life, if she wanted it. Finding the teapot, he stood and bowed to the Aes Sedai. “May I pour us some tea, Elia Sedai?” he asked politely. Phineas expected that the two would talk at length about life as a Dedicated and the decision of an Ajah. Having some tea would keep their throats from drying as a result of the conversation.

[Craig]

Elia

Elia didn't know Anoihan well, but if the Dedicated's tone was anything to go by, maybe that was no bad thing. She was certain that Anoihan had been in her rooms, alongside two or three other Indigos, but then she had met almost all of the Indigos by now. She half-expected to be tested later, to see if she recalled everyone's names and faces.

The red-haired beauty was slightly tickled at Phineas' quick suggestion for tea. Someone is keen to please, and she was more than happy to oblige. "Please," she agreed. "Just a little honey for myself." Having finally earned the shawl, she found new thrills all the time, having novices and Accepted and servants jumping at her every word. It was a refreshing change from a life in white. If it was possible, she would never wear a white dress again.

As Phineas made his way over to the small side table where the tea set was, Elia thought about her own discussions with Indigo sisters when she was trying to sort out her own direction. What was it about those talks that really brought her to see the Indigo Ajah as her natural home? But then, she also had a little bit of her mother in her. Did she want someone in the Indigo Ajah who didn't come to that decision themselves?

She unconsciously touched her ring, running a fingertip across the scales of the Great Serpent. Her voice was warm and friendly, her accent a little stronger than usual. "I remember you doing well in my class on ter'angreal. You provided the forgemaster with quite a thoughtful gift, or so I've heard from the Warder Yards. I had a look at it myself, and I have to say it was impressive. Not something I could recreate, but then my talents lay in creating other types of ter'angreal."

"Is this what attracts you to the Indigo Ajah? Not just making ter'angreal, but creation in general? I know you were a blacksmith once, or are still, I suppose. You could make yourself out to be quite a practical Green brother."

Spoiler: show

This is such a random aside, but I ended up in a ten / fifteen minute conversation about this today, so I wanted to mention it. It just didn't weave naturally into the text.

Elia uses a jasmine flowering tea, which I'm going to assume are Shienaran or Saldaean in origin. The teapot itself will be made of glass, in order to allow one to view the beauty of the blooming flower. Also there will be cream and honey by the tea set, just so one can make a faux pas by ruining green tea.

[Jon]

Phineas

Phineas bowed his head in acknowledgement to Elia’s request for tea. He stood up and made his way over to the tea set. Opening up the tea canister, he blinked at the little balls of tea leaves that sat before him. He’d never seen the like, but he assumed they did what any set of tea leaves would do. Pouring water into the teapot, he quickly seized Saidin and channeled Fire into the item for it to reach the proper temperature. Carefully, he dropped the ball of leaves into the tea and watched as they unfurled to reveal jasmine petals—a truly amazing sight! Two containers other than the tea canister sat beside the teapot. Phineas checked to see which included honey before pouring Elia’s tea and adding honey. He was glad that he checked because he wouldn’t have wanted to pour cream into tea. Some dark teas were delicious with cream, but this tea was too light to need the white liquid. He poured a teacup for himself, choosing to drink it without either cream or honey, and then returned to Elia Sedai. She had asked him a series of questions while he was preparing the tea, and he began answering them as he sat. “You could say that I am drawn to the Indigo because it allows me to create,” he said before taking a sip of the tea. It was perhaps a bit too weak, not having steeped the leaves long enough. Still, the hints of jasmine were delicious. “I am not sure you know this, but I’ve discovered a bit of a Talent for making cuendillar.” That discovery had been made when Phineas was a Soldier, but he wasn’t sure if it had made its way around the Tower. As far as Talents went, it wasn’t anything special, but it also wasn’t exactly common. “As a blacksmith I made both weapons and decorative items from metal,” he added. “I always enjoyed the latter over the former, though I am probably more proficient with the former.” His aesthetic was very different than most, with iron as his metal of choice—a metal not commonly sought for decoration. “I guess I could serve the Green Ajah by creating weapons for them and the Gaidin,” he admitted, “but I am not sure that doing so would satisfy me.” He thought about his Third Arch and the future of creating ter’angreal it had envisioned for him. “More than making weapons, I enjoy making items with the One Power—whether ter’angreal or cuendillar, and I think the Indigo would best help me study that.” Well, either the Indigo or the Brown would because both Ajahs dedicated themselves to a pursuit of knowledge. It was more the application of that knowledge which differentiated the two.

[Craig]

Elia

Elia breathed in the scent of the drink before taking a sip. The tea was spot on, and the Indigo sister murmured softly in praise. It made a welcomed change, not having to lead someone by the nose. She rested the cup and saucer gently on her lap as she listened to the Andoran's words. A blacksmith, a man who could make cuendillar, someone who preferred not to make weapons. Definitely one of us. But there is more to being an Indigo than the ability to make cuendillar, otherwise every girl with an inkling towards Healing would be a Yellow. That thought curled the edges of her mouth into a humoured grin.

Malachite eyes twinkled. "There is more to the Indigo Ajah than simply being the hoarders of interesting objects. I may not be too familiar with cuendillar, but I am comfortable when it comes to ter'angreal. Some of us are able to make ter'angreal, some of us are able to study ter'angreal, and a rare few can do either without harmful consequences. But it is dangerous. You surely have heard the stories about people burning themselves out, or finding themselves stilled or gentled. A good number of sensible minds would baulk at that, finding their life effectively ended in the basement of the Grey Tower, instead of fighting against Shadowspawn, or meting out justice for the weak and dispossessed." Elia tilted her head in the way one was wont to do, considering the chiseled line of Phineas' jaw, his well-built form. He didn't have the look of an Indigo, and surely other Ajahs would feel it remiss not to attempt to sway him their way. Maybe I shouldn't be attempting to frighten him off? She dismissed that thought almost immediately. The dangers were real; nothing she had could be a lie. If any of that made a lump in his throat, maybe it was better that he looked elsewhere.

Elia raised the teacup back to her lips, watching the Dedicated closely. Since becoming Accepted, the Shienaran's focus towards the study of ter'angreal had been driven by a guiding vision. She wasn't interested in ter'angreal, so much as what she could do with them, with a very focused aim in mind. The years since, she had got almost nowhere towards that objective, but she was still passionate, still driven.

"What is your passion, Phineas? If you were suddenly freed from the Grey Tower, returned to the outside world, what would you do with your life? What is it that drives you, and how does that drive steer you towards the Indigo Ajah?"

[Jon]

Phineas

Phineas sat back and listened as Elia Sedai explained the dangers that Indigo brothers and sisters faced in their line of study. The scene in his second arch, the Soldier who was burned out in the Vaults, played in his mind. He knew firsthand, somewhat, the dangers that each person who studied ter’angreal faced. Yet, there was more to this than simply studying ter’angreal. There was the thrill of discovery and the marvels that were possible with the One Power. Each item he touched and studied, every plan that he drew and executed—whether for ter’angreal or cuendillar—Phineas knew that he was doing something more with his ability than benefitting himself. The Aes Sedai in the Age of Legends were Servants of All. The Asha’man were meant to guard and protect everyone. The public in the Age of Legends had all used the One Power with ter’angreal made available to all. Now, the items were rare, but he could make them more common. “What is your passion, Phineas?” That was the true question here. What drove him to do what he did? “I…” he paused as he thought through his response. It was there inside of him if only he could find the words. “I want to help people,” he said simply before elaborating. “I have always wanted to make tools and other things for people, items that will help them live their lives.” As he spoke, the feeling behind his passion leaked into his voice. “As a blacksmith, I could only do so much,” he explained, “but now I have Saidin at my fingertips. I can make items that will help others do wonderful things.” He thought of his first ter’angreal—the self-heating anvil. “Like my first ter’angreal, I want to make items that anyone can use, not just Tower initiates.” He paused to drink some tea, wetting his mouth that had gone dry with his response. “The Talent with cuendillar came out of nowhere,” he explained. “I didn’t go looking for it, and I am honestly not sure how it will help me.” Setting down the empty teacup, he felt a bit silly about that. He was far from perfect in his plan for his life, but he knew enough of what he wanted. The question was whether the Indigo was the place where he could do that. “I guess I could use the cuendillar to make ter’angreal,” he said absently, “or sell it, but that is all secondary to what I really want to do.” Create. Innovate. Invent. Help others through it all.

[Craig]

Elia

There was a smile on Elia Sedai's beautiful face, but it didn't touch her green eyes. Those watched the Dedicated with a sense of agitation. Something he had said irked her, although she couldn't place a finger on it.

Her voice remained serene but warm. "It's a noble aspiration to wish to do things for others, or in your case to make things for others. You want to bring the wonders of the One Power to the world at large, or at least the products that skilled Aes Sedai and Asha'man can make? An interesting proposal, certainly." She took another sip of tea, finishing off the drink, and placed the cup back on the saucer on her lap. "'To better the world.' That sounds a little more like the Blue Ajah, or maybe even the Yellow, 'to bring aid to others'."

The Indigo sister moved the cup and saucer to the low table, a quirk of bemusement on her face. "What you are suggesting goes against the traditions of the Grey Tower. As you know, the Indigo Ajah protects the ter'angreal in the Tower, and even full brothers and sisters require permission to access the Vaults that hold these objects of power." Her tone was still serene and warm, but her gaze was slowly becoming piercing. "Yet you propose that we start handing out ter'angreal, or maybe just some mundane objects of interest, made of cuendillar I suppose? Maybe bring about a new Age of Legends, mm?"

Elia focused on smoothing her skirts out as she let the tension ebb out of the room. "Can you reason out why such things are exclusively the purview of the Indigo Ajah, Phineas?"