Harper Lounge (#218)
A few chairs are scattered at odd intervals around this room, mostly soft, comfortable armchairs, with a few wooden ones off against the walls. The center of the area holds a cluster of sofas, arranged with a carefully sculpted haphazard appearance around a low wooden table. The glowlight shines off somewhat uneven walls, which sparkle with bits of bright mineral. A table against the wall holds some bottles of various beverages and a few trays of neat snacks. Doors leading off the room lead to various harper private residences.

Tolia sits cross-legged on the floor beside an old, beat-up chair. Sections of fabric surround her in lumps and piles, scraps and scissors strewn within arm's reach. She carefully pins a piece onto the armrest of the chair, tucking in ends until they look reasonably neat.

Kaeryn pauses just outside the door to her room, not making a sound, just watching as her friend works. Making herself comfortable while she watches, the elder harper leans against the doorframe, arms crossing her chest. "And here I thought you were determined to show how much you *aren't* a girl," she says, finally speaking.

"Ouch!" Oli jumps at the voice behind her, sticking herself with a pin. "No fair," she mumbles, turning on Kaeryn as she sucks her wounded finger. "And I don't know what you're talking about," she insists, picking up another of the multi-colored scraps of fabric, fitting it into a good place on the chair, and gesticulating with the pin she then inserts.

Kaeryn winces at the now-wounded-finger, but still shakes her head in amazement, "Just a little cousinly teasing, that's all." Now that she's been discovered, the artist shuffles tiredly the rest of the way into the room, and, finding a chair that isn't under construction, settles down to rest. "That's a nice thing you're doing for Mr. Chair there, he's been looking a bit rough."

Tolia nods. "He's very comfortable, though, so I thought maybe I'd just give him a new suit," she grins to Kaeryn over her shoulder, picking out a contrasting color to go into the patchwork. "I'm getting tired of my boring room."

"Sounds like we both have a little decorating in front of us," Kae notes, adjusting her position to get more comfortable, socked feet finding a place beneath her on the chair. "I just can't seem to find the right way to do this room. Maybe it's because I've had to move too many times, my brain is tired of making nice places to live."

"If you help me, I'll help you," Oli offers a bargain. "I might even be convinced to help you make a room you'll be happy with." She grins jokingly, placing another irregularly-shaped piece onto the back of the chair. "What do you think so far?"

"But Vivian made me promise to *never* pick up a needle again," Kae replies, frowning ever-so-slightly. "She, apparently, thinks that my talents don't like in the sewing departments, but I can supervise, I guess." Tilting her head to the side to the study the piece that's against the chair back, 'hmm-ing' quietly to herself. "What if you cut that into a nice star or something, give it a little personality?"

Tolia abruptly beams. "Hey, that's a great idea!" Enthusiastic, she unpins the bright fabric and reaches for her scissors. "I should overlay a bunch of shapes on what I've already done -- a star here, a double moon, a circle... yeah."

"Then we can use your chair as a shapes lesson for Brencia," Kae laughs, only partly teasing her friend. "But I think that would make it all the more eye-pleasing, in all honesty."

Tolia giggles, holding up a very uneven star. "If we can tell what they're supposed to be," she adds. "But I kindof like it anyway, eh?" She turns the star around; in the proper mindset, it might be artistic.

Kaeryn shrugs slightly, "She's the daughter of an artist. It's your impression of a star, right? That comes from spending too much time with me, I do believe."

Tolia laughs again, pinning the impressionist shape in place. "Between you and Kryz, it's a wonder I don't have more talent." She stands, brushing threads from her clothes, and admires the half-covered chair. "So far, so good. I think I'll even have some cloth left for the walls," she predicts, pleased. "It's amazing what you find at the weavers' hall."

"For the wall?" Kae blinks in slight confusion, shaking her head to show that she doesn't understand. "You're going to cover your walls with fabric? And just how do you plan to make it stay, or are you going to sew it to the stone?"

"Glue!" Oli exclaims, rounding on Kaeryn enthusiastically. "And not cover it. Just here and there. Maybe dangle some from the ceiling," she considers, fingers poised thoughtfully on her chin.

Kaeryn just nods, trying to imagine what it is that her friend wants to do to the room. "Glue. Fair enough, I suppose." But the dangling part, that pushes the artist over the edge, and she can't help but laugh, "And then you'll wake in the middle of the night and think thread is falling in your room."

Tolia grins. "It'll sure keep Gil busy," she agrees. "Okay, maybe no dangling. Just pasted on the walls."

"Ooh, flamed pieces of dangling fabric, that sounds safe," Kae moves on to taunting her friend, obviously feeling this is the best way to pass her time.

"Better than dead fish innards dropping on me while I'm sleeping," Oli points out. "Yes, he did that. Only once, thankfully." She wrinkles her nose and screws up her face. "Blech. So, how do you want to decorate *your* place?" The very picture of innocence. Yeah.

"Preferably without dangling thread and fish guts," Kae can't help but giggle, bringing a hand up to cover her mouth as if to stifle it.

Tolia's eyes twinkle with mirth. "Well, fine, if you want a *boring* room," she teases.

"I just want a non-charred or horrid smelling room, thank you," Kae replies dryly, her blue eyes twinkling merrily.

"Picky, picky." Oli steps over her fabric piles toward Kaeryn's room. "You've already got a carpet and a tapestry, but I haven't seen what you did with the paint," she speaks more softly as she approaches the door, pushing it quietly open. "Is she sleeping?"

Kaeryn nods, sighing softly, "Finally, though I have to admit I didn't think she'd ever doze off. She's having a little trouble getting accustomed to the place, not that I can blame her." An affectionate glance is given towards the door and the toddler sleeping beyond it, "I guess she misses her daddy as much as I do."

Tolia gives her friend a smile. "I'm sure he misses you, too. Not that he'd say as much to me," she amends with a quiet laugh, closing the door again and returning to her chair. "But he did tell me to take care of you, y'know." She winks. "Though I guess it's not quite the same thing."

"But it is wonderful being around you this much," Kae has to admit, giving Oli a smile in return. "The weyr was a little too quiet after you'd left to come back to the hall."

Tolia giggles. "Need a little more cutting up to keep you lively? I could assign an apprentice or two to ya, just to make sure you're kept amused," she offers, sitting down again amid her project.

Back