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 stares off into space, chalk poised above slate. As Kaeryn's fuzzy form enters her field of vision, she blinks and focuses. "Kae?" She puts the slate down, and grins. "What're you doing here again so soon?"

"I'm beginning to think you don't actually teach, you know," Kae suddenly speaks from where she stands in the doorway, Brencia squirming to be allowed on the floor to roam. "Facing my future, I'm afraid. It seems we're going to be neighbors again."

Tolia giggles. "Oh, but I *do*," she insists. "I teach the other journeymen how to avoid class." She leans back, hands cradling her head, and puts her feet up on the low table. "Neighbors? What, us? Here?" Her brows furrow; something doesn't add up.

"Then why is it that I never see the other journeymen lounging around here when you are?" Kae continues to tease as she and the squirming child move toward the couch, where Brencia is promptly set in Oli's lap. Taking a deep breath as she sits down, running her fingers through her hair, she explains, "I'm to continue my studies to be a DolphinSinger. Master Atira is going to teach me, but that means I have to be *here*, and not at the weyr."

Tolia puts her feet back on the floor. "Are you pleased about this?" Something in Kaeryn's tone seems to hint otherwise. "I mean, *I* am," she gives her friend an encouraging grin.

Kae nods her head, the uncertainty obvious. "I'm pleased to be able to continue to study, as well as having Master Atira to teach me, but leaving the weyr..." her head shakes, causing her to have to push curls out of her face. "It's going to be hard with T'rell there, and Bren and I here."

Tolia nods sympathetically, but grins at the child in her lap, offering fingers to be played with. "You've talked about it with him, I guess," she surmises. "What'd he say?"

Kaeryn waves her hand away and nods her head all at once, "We discussed it, and we're just going to have to get used to seeing less of each other for a little while. It's going to be hard to be away from him, for both of us." Gentle fingers reach out and touch Bren's cheek lightly, "but we'll be doing a good bit of visiting." A small grin is offered her friend-turned-relative, "but at least Bren and I know he plans on keeping us, so we'll manage."

Tolia grins broadly. "What else would he do with you. Besides, he knows that if he didn't, he'd have to answer to me. Wouldn't he?" she asks Brencia cheerfully. "And your daddy knows better than that!"

"I suppose, but it's refreshing to know he doesn't need force, right?" Kae laughs and pushes herself to her feet once again, eyeing the doors that line the wall. "I was told that the room beside yours is open, so I thought we, Bren and I, could spend the day trying to get it livable." Taking a step toward the door, she reaches out, pressing her hand against the door for a moment before her fingers reach the knob, "Shall we see what we're going to be living in now, Bren?"

Tolia hoists Brencia up, actually getting up from her chair to follow. "Right next door, wow! You're not going to keep me up nights, I hope," she teases the baby, who laughs and then ignores her.

"Believe it or not, she sleeps through most nights now," Kae points out, giving the door a push and going into the room, nose automatically wrinkling. "Ugh."

Kae's Berth (#16753)
Plain. Simple. Boring. Those three words basically describe what there is of this room. The usual four stone walls, stone floor, and stone ceiling are all bare, waiting for something to cover them. Against the right hand wall, a small desk sits, waiting to be used, it's surface covered in dust, and beside it stands a tall and slender shelf, each tier completely bare. A small cot rests against the wall opposite the door, it's mattress overstuffed with rushes, as if trying to make up for its smallness by being plump. Beside the bed, a small table, slumping slightly in the middle, holds nothing but memories of former residents of the room. Above the bed, a window, which is latched tightly shut, appears to be the one advantage to this gloomy little room.

Tolia wrinkles her nose in echo of Kaeryn's sentiment. "This place needs some air," she exclaims. "Must've been a guy in here last." Brencia comfortably carried on her hip, she strides across the room and unlatches the window, allowing the sun to stream in.

"I have a feeling that I'll be spending a few marks on setting this place up a bit, what do you think?" Kae moves around the room, eyeing the dust unhappily and pokes a finger at the 'bed'. "Carpet. New furniture, a bigger bed.."

In the slanting light of the window, Oli turns around in the center of the room. "It's not so bad. Except for the dust, it's about the same as mine." She nods. "'Course, I could do a bit more in my room, too."

"But it isn't fit for an infant that's learning to walk, and that likes the chew on everything in sight," Kae points out the things that a mother would think about. "And if T'rell will be coming to stay, that bed isn't big enough for the pair of us, much less when Bren and my fair of 'lizards decide they want to sleep with me."

Tolia makes a face at the baby. "I wouldn't want to chew on all this dust," she tells Brencia, settling her more comfortably even as she squirms to get down. "Sounds like we need to go find some stuff," she decides. "Do you want nice stuff or discarded stuff?"

Kaeryn, being about as girl as a girl can be, turns quickly to face Oli, a small frown on her lips. "I'd *prefer* nice things, but anything better than this will do, I suppose."

Tolia chuckles at Kaeryn's frown. "Okay, so we'll skip the old storerooms," she agrees. "More fun looking at nice stuff, anyway. Maybe you want to get a woodsmith to make you a nice bed, what do you think? And a dresser and desk to match?" She starts envisioning, pointing to her imaginary pieces of beautiful furniture.

"I've enough marks saved up to get nice things, I believe," Kae touches the bag that hangs at her waist, feeling it's weight. "I can't stand the idea of staying here in *this*, you know? And carpets, they're a must. This stone floor is too cold for Bren to be crawling around on and..." she lets her voice trail off, grinning slightly at herself. "I sound like an unhappy Lady, don't I?"

Tolia laughs cheerfully as she brings Brencia over beside Kaeryn, holding the girl with one arm and throwing the other around Kaeryn's shoulders in a sisterly hug. "We'll get it straightened out, won't we?"

"And make it look like this girly harper has lived here for turns and turns, right?" Kae laughs, squeezing Oli affectionately.

Tolia nods. "Yep. Turns and turns. And just when we've got it perfect, it'll be time to go back to the Weyr." Tolia grins slyly to Kaeryn, then. "And I'll get to keep all the stuff you can't take with you, for *my* room. Right?"

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