Neliar - Monday, September 17, 2001, 7:31 PM
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The Vault
No more than a hideaway amidst the gothic grandeur of the StarHall, this cozy lounge is a place of laughter if not greatness, warmth if not splendour. The close stone walls are insulated with tapestries of all shapes and sizes, most a little worn, several faded and a good many depicting scenes from childhood stories. The mismatched chairs and sofas are in a similar state, rescued from cellars and rubbish-heaps but perhaps more softer and more comfortable for that, scattered in a rouch circle on a hardwood floor. A low round table in the centre of the room holds cards, discarded hides, mugs, and a pot that holds klah as long as someone remembers to fill it. The one window at the back wall lets light and air into the warm, cozy room.
Scattered troughout the rooms are numerous glowbaskets. Thin hides, that would be transparant if they weren't coloured in light shades of red green and blue cast a colourfull and happy athmostphere troughout the room. Small bells and sticks, hung near the window, create soft, eerie yet comfortablly soft sounds,
On the perch are Pingouin, Teremi, Kataxia, Zaflin, Scorpy, Rygel, Cami, Lil'Topaz, Tas, and Espero.
You see Sweet Root plant, Kaelli, Tomato plant, Adoran's Stick, Strawberry bush, and Notebook here.
Terran is here.

Terran is laying on the floor with his feet in the air, kicking happily back and forth. In front of him lays a small piece of hide. Terran appears to be drawing something.

Espero suddenly disappears ::between::!

Neliar stumbles in half asleep from the dorms, almost tripped over the lad lying on the floor. "Watch it Terran." he snaps, opps he's not the most cheery of people first thing in the morning. "what you doing down there?" trying to make up for snapping at the lad.

Terran stares up the older boy for a bit. A frown upon his face and his eyes are narrow, "I'm watching. You tripped over me." It's not his fault when people don't watch their feet. But it's a good day so his cheery mood is soon restored. "I'm making a card for Cael." Terran proudly holds up a picture of to stick boys for inspection. "It's our turnday."

Neliar grins down at the younger lad, rather ashamed at himself of snapping, he's been rather out of sorts recently. "Really it's your turnday! How old are you?" he has no idea really, just that they the pair of them look rather small, then again so do most people compared to him.

Tris walks in from the Female Apprentice Quarters.

"13." Terran and his twin had been at the hall for what seemed like forever, though in truth, it hasn't been quite a year. Placing the hide back on the floor Terran carefully write, 'Happy Turnday Cael'.

Neliar smiles down at the lad, "That's nice." he wishes he had a brother instead of two miserable sisters. He notices Tris walking and and stands up and waves at her. "Hi Tris, how are you?"

Tris snaps out of a light trance. "Oh hi Neliar...and you too, Terran. Didn't notice y'all. I'm fine, tanks. Whatcha doin', Ter? Writing a birtday card? Dat's nice." She bends over to see for whom the card's for. "Caelum? Ain't dat yo' twin or someone?"

Terran eyes widen at the burage of questions. He didn't think anyone besides Caelum could do that. "Yeah, my twin. It's our turnday and we're 13." Blink, blink. "Hi." A little belated but Terran does get it.

Neliar laughs at Terran's expression. He seems to be the quieter of the twins, or at least the less active...."Where is Cael?" normally the pair of them are together.

Terran is the quieter and, relatively, better behaved of the two. "Cael's at class." An michievous, evil type look comes across his face at the thought of restless Caelum being forced to sit for long. Or maybe it's for the 'poor' person stuck teaching him.

Neliar snickers, thinking of the poor person who has to teach that little imp. "how are your classes going?" He remembers being a probbie and what fun he had.

Tris screws up her face at the thought of the tortures that one is forced to endure during a class. She has only been to one in her life, and although the teacher was good, the information was all repetitive. And she didn't even become a real appie. She flops down on a chair and taps her fingers to a rhythm only she can hear, looking for something to do.

Laeding suddenly disappears ::between::!

Terran simply shrugs as he begins to color in the letters of his card. "I like classes, but they're to long." As if to puntucate this Terran shifts to tuck his legs underneath him. "I still gotta take the one for probationaries, though."

Neliar follows Tris's example and sits himself down, curling his legs up as usual, he looks really stupid when his legs are down cause the chairs are too small for him. "I'm able to teach if a Jman will supervise." not that he's looking forward to that part of being a Sr Appy.

Tris snatches up a hide and lazily begins sketching random figures on the skin. She always had a knack for drawing. "If dese are any good, dey'll be yo' birtday present." She looks up from her drawing breifly to glance at Terran. "S'at aight? Good." She returns to filling the page with pictures of firelizards. "Just where did that lil' creature fly to? I need him to model fo' me." She looks around for the blue flit that had occupied the room.

Neliar leans over to peer at the drawns, slightly surprised by how good they are. "Hey they're really good Tris."

Tris nod at both Terran and Neliar. "Thanks. I shoulda become a harper or artist or sometin', instead of becoming a StarCrafter. Not dat I don't enjoy looking at stars, but I tink I woulda been better off as an artist. Mind you, having to take classes woulda sucked d'fun right out of drawing." She adds a tail to a drawing.

Terran watches the movement of Tris' hand win awe. "But there's nothin' better then the Stars." His widen at the thought of doing anything else. There isn't anything else for this boy.

Neliar nods in agreement with Terran, maybe Tris would be better off somewhere else. He's loved stargazing for as long as he can remember. "Why did you join Tris?" there must besome reason why she's here.

Tris abruptly stills her hand. Why /did/ she join? Because she passed the interview? Tris grits her teeth in frustration. Why such hard questions? "I dunno. Seemed like a good idea at the time. Mebee I didn't want to do anything else. I mean, I have no musical ability, I dislike d'smell o' wine, d'entire reason dat I left m'family was to get /away/ from d'sea so seacraft would be wrong, hate farming, animals seem to avoid me..." she ticks off the different crafts that wouldn't suite her with her fingers.

Terran wraps his arms around Tris in a quick hug. "You'll figure it out." He hopes over to pick up his card. "Cael'll be back any minute. I gotta hide this. See you guys later." With that he bounds into the male dorms.

Neliar smiles at the departing figure that represents Terran. Grinning he turns back to Tris, "He's a little scamp, isn't he." at least he's not as bad as Cael. on a more serious note. "he's right you know, you'll figure it out eventually, and it's not as if you're stuck here forever."

Tris looks up at Terran and smiles. She sets down her drawings on her lap and reclines back into the chair, bringing her arms up in a stretch. "How ol' are you, boy? I may be only eighteen, but what kinda craft takes appies in dis late?" Her expression turns serious. "You were dere when Shanel gave me de lesson on comets, were you not? To tell you quite honestly, I hate taking lessons or doing lots o' work. An 'orrible att'tude if you ask me, but I can't help it. Surely I won't get too far in life tinking like dat, and oter crafts won't like it eider. Basically I joined StarCraft to get away from d'sea." she shudders lightly. "I loved my family, but I couldn't stand d'way I was living, so I left." She ceases her flow of words, not wishing to reveal any more details of her past.

Neliar shakes his head slightly, he too couldn't wait to get away form his family, but he wanted to come here. It must be really bad not wanting to be here. "The studying isn't fun." he admits but it's an ends to a means. "But it's worth it at the end of the day." he really means it. Try as he might he can't think of something that might apeal to Tris, not that he knows her too well.

Tris playfully punches Neliar in the ribs. "Silly boy, I like it here jus' fine. Besides d'work. Not dat I coulda done better anyway." She returns to her drawing, her mood better now. "Say, d'little flitter came back, did 'e? Only d'better." She starts addding details she had missed in the lizard's absense.

Neliar looks around for his little blue, now where can he have got to this time. Suddenly he spots him perched on the other side of the room. Grinning he turns his attention back to Tris, "I'm glad to here you like it here. I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be." especially not back with his family. *shudder*

Tris nods and hmms, absorbed in her sketching. She doesn't bother asking Neliar about his family, for she is sure that he is no more inclined to explain as she is. She diverts her attention from Laeding to Bluey. "What a handsome ting! Looks like Terran will have himself one /nice/ bir'day present. 's he yo's?" she asks Neliar, envious. She wishes /she/ had a flit.

Neliar nods, "yeah, I've not had him long....a friend gave me an egg." He feels slightly sorry for her not having one, even if they are hard work sometimes.

Tris sighs. Like /she/ would ever want to take responsibilty of such a creature. And yet..."That was nice of 'im. Saves you d'impression, huh?" Many a time has Tris attempted at an impression, and many a time has she failed.

Neliar nods, "it's a good job to, my other flit was given to me as well. I've been to loads of hatchings and I've never impressed one." Neliar stands up, stretching his arms out in front of him. "Well I suppose I should get back to my chores now. Nice talking to you again Tris."