<div class="floatright">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/f/fd/Valdar.jpg)</div><strong>Character name:</strong>Galvren Valynar (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=234819.msg11585469#msg11585469)<br/><strong>Position:</strong>Valdar (Newly Risen to Gaidin)<br/><strong>Bondmate:</strong>Open<br/><strong>Tag:</strong>None, yet.<br/><strong>Time:</strong>Evening, Saven 7th.<br/><strong>Place:</strong>The Grounds, Main Yard.<br/><strong>Warning:</strong>N/A<br/><hr/><br/>Galvren breathed a small sigh of relief when he looked up and saw the smile on her face; she wouldn't be smiling if she were displeased, he knew that much, and even though he had yet to truly experience her wrath he already knew that he wouldn't overly enjoy it that much; nobody got angry quite like an Aes Sedai, after all, and anybody on the receiving end of their wrath certainly stepped lightly in the immediate future around them. Aes Sedai as a whole tended to appreciate punctuality - which, to them, meant being at least ten minutes early, which was why he tried to be<em>fifteen</em>minutes early most of the time - which certainly made running late feel a lot more hectic and nerve-racking than it would ordinarily, but thankfully it appeared that Suana Sedai wasn't angry or even mildly irritated with him; that was something he'd never been able to quite pin down...sometimes she'd be annoyed if he ran a little later than planned, and sometimes she'd take it in stride. He supposed it could have to do with whether she was busy or not, but honestly it happened so rarely that it was difficult to ascertain any kind of meaningful pattern from the scattered points of data on the graph. If he had a graph, that was; mathematics had never really been his strong suit, no matter how many times his mother tried to drum it into him. Still, it was nice to see that Suana Sedai at least appeared to be in a good mood such that she didn't hold his tardiness against him. It was always nice to see Suana Sedai in a good mood, considering her duties as a Sitter, especially since in a weird kind of way he counted her amongst his friends. It was an unconventional friendship, to be sure, but they got along and they shared some common interests...so what other criteria was there, really? Alas, her mood did seem to sour just a little - if only momentarily - at the sight of his sling. He knew he should have left it in his bunk, but he'd just gotten tired of people bumping into it all the time, so had decided to bite the bullet and start wearing it, at least until he could take an impact on it without crumpling in pain.<br/><br/>Fortunately, at least, the frown that crumpled her otherwise smooth, graceful features quickly disappeared as she patted the blanket beside her and invited him to sit...honestly, whilst he had gotten used to being flirted with at the Tower - for one, the Novices and the Accepted seemed to have a rather acute fascination with the young men in the training yard, but that was understandable; most of them were young women who had much the same thoughts and impulses as the young men did at times, so it was perhaps understandable that they would take the time to occasionally oggle the more good looking of the recruits - and had even developed some skill at returning said flirtation, when it came from a full Aes Sedai - especially one as high-up and almost mythical as Suana Sedai - it was a lot more unnerving. Not unwelcome, mind; she was, like most Aes Sedai, a woman of ethereal, ageless beauty and being as confident and assertive as she was she was definitely his "type"...but considering his only real extra experience with Aes Sedai being in any way intimately interested in him was Theraeve Sedai and she didn't so much flirt as just drag him off to a corner somewhere, he was always a little at a loss for what to say in return. Granted, Suana Sedai likely only meant it as a joke or to be friendly or something, but it was still enough to make him blush just a little. It always made him blush, whenever she decided to flirt with him...he wouldn't be surprised if that's why she did it; she wouldn't be the first woman to make him blush just to see him blush. Still, it would be rude not to answer, and he'd at least gotten some rudimentary skills in what to say in return. Should he flirt back? Well, considering that Suana in particular valued men with a little bit of a spine, probably. He wouldn't want to disappoint her, after all. He offered an ever-so-slightly hesitant smile as he approached, crossing the distance between them quickly despite his shoulder.<br/><br/>"I am glad, then, that I arrived in time to prevent that spark from fizzling out, Suana Sedai," he said, "as I've found myself looking forward to this meeting since I received your 'summons' and I would have hated to disappoint you." He offered another small smile. He always referred to her messages as "Summons," whether the invitations were optional or not. It was a bit of a joke between them, though it had some basis in truth; you didn't refuse an invitation from<em>any</em>Aes Sedai if you were just an unclaimed Valdar, let alone a Sitter. He took her outstretched hand, then - no sense in being proud or arrogant in refusing her help; she was being considerate, and honestly, he wasn't about to sit down gracefully with only one arm. He could get to the ground, of course, but that would likely involve some degree of<em>falling,</em>which wasn't high on his list of priorities. Using the proffered hand as more of a lever than a leaning aid, he stooped down onto one knee, then turned himself around and lowered himself to the blanket beside her. He couldn't avoid a little bit of a heavy landing - his backside thudding into the ground hard enough to send a slight jarring sensation through his body, though he managed to avoid wincing - but it was better than tripping over his own feet because he was too proud to accept help when he needed it. That was the first thing you had to learn if you were about to guard the Aes Sedai; if you needed help, the Aes Sedai's safety took precedent over your own pride. He grimaced a little at her question and shook his head.<br/><br/>"They've not said so directly, Aes Sedai, but I imagine that it's the same reason as always; they wish to save their energy in case an emergency comes in late in the day, rather than 'wasting' it on wounds that will heal naturally either way. I can understand the logic, of course, but if I were a selfish man I might complain bitterly about how difficult it is to live in Tar Valon with an injury that aches with every movement." He glanced at her briefly, and the ghost of a wry smile flitted across his features. They'd known each other on a personal level for a few months now, so he had an idea of what was acceptable and what wasn't in these secret meetings of theirs, but he still had to try to tread carefully; offending a Sitter of the Aes Sedai was not a wise thing to do if you wished to have a productive life in the White Tower. "So it's a good thing that I'm not a selfish man, is it not, Aes Sedai?" It would, after all, be improper of him to complain about the Aes Sedai's methods; Suana Sedai could, of course, but he was just a lowly Valdar; it was most certainly not his place to criticise the practices of the Aes Sedai. To do so would be to insult the traditions of The White Tower, and that was not something that he was about to do. Of course, he disagreed with Suana Sedai about the necessity of the test - how else would they ascertain whether or not the Valdar in question was willing to put his life in danger to secure the safety of their Aes Sedai? - despite his injuries, but she already knew that; they'd discussed it at length in a previous conversation, when he mentioned that he felt like<em>his</em>test was coming up - and it turned out that he'd been right - and it wasn't worth picking up again. Whilst it had been a civil, good-natured discourse, he had no real inclination to reopen a topic where they were never going to agree on a day as good as that one. It was a time to relax and celebrate his passing, not quibble over every minor comment. It wasn't<em>that</em>important, after all.