The Grey Tower

Avyra

"So, if you want to appear approachable," Avyra said, taking a sip of her water. "You've gotta be relaxed. Smile a bit. Not just with your teeth, your eyes too." She paused. "That's how you sell people." She was sitting across the table from Seonin at beakfast, giving her some pointers about interaction. It was a bit hard for Avyra; these were things she had never thought of before, but she was happy to help her new friend out. "However, how you act also depends on who you want to attract. If I wanted to attract a rather nice looking Drin, I would act differently than if I wanted to attract, say, Mirin Sedai." She smiled. "And of course, smile. That's how you meet people. Say hello, good morning, whatever, and they'll be bound to talk to you. Or at least remember your face. So if you have a class with someone you pass, they might remember you and sit with you if you're alone." The smaller Novice paused. "But I've learned that you need to be yourself. Its easy here to try to make a fake persona to hide behind. That doesn't work. Trust me, most Novices here are too envolved in studies to gossip. And those that do gossip don't last long. Or are chewed up at spit out by Mirin Sedai. So don't worry about their thoughts. Besides, those people don't matter anyway." She paused. "What matters is if you like the way you present yourself." Avyra looked over her friend. "And chin up, no slouching! You're beautiful, own it. I bet if you lifted yourself up a bit, it'll add some more height to you, too. A trick I figured out. And everyone loves height. Its attractive, apparently." Although Seonin might not need it, Avyra had figured out that trick due to her own lack. "Anyway, keep your back straight, look proud. You'll be fine."

The breakfast hall was crowded with women in novice white and the banded dresses of Accepted - as well as men in their dark uniforms. The Aes Sedai and Asha'man had their own hall, of course, one with table linens and silver cutlery, and that novices could only enter if they had been assigned to clean the hall after dinner. But the learning ranks ate here.

Seonin's dark eyes darted back and forth as she listened to Avyra speak. Some of the Accepted actually attempted to enforce the rule of silence while dining. Although most didn't mind if the novices talked quietly, Seonin didn't care to get herself and Avyra in trouble. Light knew Avyra got into enough trouble by herself!

"You make it sound so easy," said the former damane. She tried smiling back at her friend. It felt forced and unnatural, and instead her lips parted in an uncomfortable grimace. She sighed and shook her head.

"I'll never get this right, Ava. I'm not a proud woman," she said. She lowered her eyes to her plate. "I'm already being myself. Isn't that good enough?"