Gideon the Ninth, Between 19 & 20

[we_bring_hell]

The first few times Harrow has come to Milliways, she gave every sign of a carefully cultivated appearance. Tonight is different.

She's wearing black trousers and a black, high-collared shirt; there's no sign of her robes or the bone corselet she usually wears. Even her gloves and bone rosary bracelets are missing. Her facepaint is worn away, sweated off and smeared into an indistinct grey in many places. For the first time her bare skin is visible on her hands and places on her face; it's a muddy, pallid brown. Her short-cropped black hair is mussed.

She is clutching her journal like a lifeline; she moves slowly but she's steady, in the way of someone who learned long ago to make her body steady when it wants to shake. She finds her way to an overstuffed chair and drops into it, staring at her papers in a way that suggests she is looking past them.

Comments

[blue_ajah]

Moiraine has spent more time in Milliways over the last week or so than she has in months, she thinks. Still, as events in her worlds are settled enough and the passage of time between there and the bar at the end of the universe remains paused while she is present, it does not concern her.

Besides, she is interested in pursuing certain matters further, and the Aes Sedai's curiosity has ever been a driving force in her life.

That same curiosity is sparked now as she observes Harrow make her way across the room. Dark eyes narrow slightly as the other woman falls into the chair.

Moiraine signals to a waitrat, murmurs an order for it to bring to Harrow, and then rises to her feet and glides over.

"Lady Ninth." Each word is smooth and calm, with no indication of any concern that might be present. "Light illumine. May I join you?"