StarCraft Library
Bookshelves line opposite walls, reaching from ceiling to floor. A thick stripe of red runs around the room on the walls where they meet the ceiling, silver eight-pointed stars showing the StarCraft's symbol. A few tables are centered in the room for studying and soft chairs are scattered around for those who aren't at the tables. In one corner, a large chair stands with more chairs in a semi-circle around it, a setup suggesting that classes might be taught there. Another corner boasts a potted plant, bright and green due to the careful work of an apprentice or two.

Linora is seated at a table, hunched over a large book, intent on deciphering the text. A page is turned, a sigh escapes her... then she shakes her head and resumes her studying.

"Hello? Is someone in here? Could you give me a hand?" Edging through the door, Keris does his best not to stumble over anything as he carries a stack of books on his arms - a stack tall enough to block his view completely. "Is there a table nearby?" Shardin' glowbaskets - why didn't someone change them?? It's in the middle of the day! Well, early in the morning, but still....

Linora looks up with a start at the voice, almost familiar... she can't see the face through the books but she /can/ see someone needs help. She slips out of her chair and rushes to assist. "Just here," she says helpfully, reaching to lighten the speaker's load a bit.

"Oh. Ohhh.... Oh!" As he sets down the books, the pile almost managed to rush out of his hands - but Keris caught them in time, and now they're neatly stacked, well, thrashed, on the tabletop, journeyman wiping sweat off his brow with an exaggerated hand-motion. "Thanks..... Linora, was it? Yes, Linora. Hope I didn't disturb your studies." There's an approving note to that sentence. Studies - how clever.

Linora nods, shooting a surprised glance at Keris. She'd hardly expected him to remember her, trying to remember the last time she even /saw/ him... oh yes, that morning in the courtyard. "Not at all," she quickly assures him, both to his thanks and to his comment about disturbing her studies. That book's not going anywhere. Sigh. She absently straightens the pile of books. "I was just reading and stuff."

"Ahh. Reading's good, though. Used to do it a lot, but now I hardly have time," Keris complaints, shooting the books on the table a longing look. "Spent almost two sevendays on that stack!" See - he doesn't have much time. Nu-huh. "What're you reading, then?"

"The Charting book." Linora glances back at it -- no easy read for her, from the expression on her open face, but she's /trying/. Then the rest of his words reach her... so she's a little backwards... and she slowly turns to look at the stack again, nearly covering the entire table. Only two sevendays? Meep...

"The charting book? The one I wrote?" Keris asks curiously - aha, so that's where he'd seen it before. Of course. "You think charting's that interesting, eh? How come?" The questions are fired at the poor apprentice in a rapid row, journeyman's brow quirking inquiringly.

Linora blinks. "You... /wrote/ it?" She takes a step back under the barrage of questions, feeling just a bit overwhelmed. "I... I been reading alla the books," she stammers, "...or /trying/ to." Now that she's finished her classes, getting enough information to finish her project and apply for promotion is really /her/ problem, isn't it? But her interest is earnest, and so is her reply. "I never knew how important charts /were/ and stuff. Or how ta make 'em." Well, she /still/ doesn't actually know that second bit... but she's getting an idea.

"I did, certainly. When I was working to become a Journeyman," Keris tells willingly - oh yes, listen to him yammer on about Charts for a couple of sevendays. "I hope you understand it, though it /is/ written for people who specialize in Charts. I don't expect all new apprentices to understand it." Sad, but true. He'd love it if everyone knew everything about Charts. think of all the discussions they could have! Whoo.

Linora chews her lip. "Kinda... maybe a little." She shrugs lightly. "I mean, I don't really get alla the terms an' stuff... but I prolly oughtta go /look/ at the charts upstairs." In the observatory, no? She /thinks/ she remembers seeing charts there.

"That'd be a good idea, yes. Or, if you want an explanation sometime, feel free to stop by my room and see if i'm there." Not that he ever is, but he means it well. "Then I'll be glad to tell you what you'd like to know." Keris beams at Linora, happy-happy that someone seems to be interested in his lina of work.

So, not long afterwards...

Keris' Scene of Crime
A simple room at first sight; only containing two cots, a big and a small, a closet, a desk and a couch with a small table and a few chairs. Though when looking closer around, one might see that in here rules controlled chaos; stacks upon stacks of charts, books and undefinable hides are scattered on the desk and the floor, and the closet is locked to prevent things from coming crashing out any minute.
Glowbaskets are placed all over, making this room always bright with light. Midnight blue is on the ceiling, together with glow-in-the-dark paint dots creating an illusion of the night sky. The walls are covered with lighter blue, white dots creating a lot of constellations such as 'The Blue Dragon' and 'Love in the Sky', highlighted on black and red areas.
You see Seily's Cot here.
Keris is here.

Linora sticks her head in first, a bit hesitantly looking around before letting herself in completely and closing the door behind her. "Hi. Um... I thought maybe, if you're not busy, that maybe I could ask you more about charts and stuff?" Words tumble out almost too quickly... nerves? Oh, yes. "I mean, I know you're kinda /always/ busy and stuff, butya /did/ kinda say I could come talk to ya..." She cuts herself off abruptly, finally becoming /aware/ that she's chattering like a wherry. Meep. She shifts from foot to foot, trying not to fidget too much while she waits for his response.

"Ohhh." Keris was actually sle.... studying, y'see. That's why his head snaps up like a spineless tunnelsnake as Linora enters, and blue eyes blink rapidly as they try to focus on her. Ohhhhh yes. An apprentice. Yes. "Yes, of course! No-no, I'm never busy. Never too busy to discuss the Craft." Beam, beam; journeyman's face radiates eagerness to /talk/, and he nods towards a randomly scattered chair. "Take a seat. If you can find one, among all Seily's mess." Nevermind that it's /his/ mess that's scattered all over. Ahem.

Linora picks her way through the piles of... whatever... and carefully clears off a chair, sitting a bit nervously. "Thanks. Um... " Suddenly she feels tongue-tied, now that she's got the journeyman's full attention. "Um... I been reading 'bout charting an' stuff... " hoping he remembers, it was only the other day she'd seen him in the archives! "An' I wanted t'find out ... more." How to ask? "Um... 'bout how t'read 'em, and maybe make 'em and stuff."

"Yes?" Keris is clueless - get used to it. Regarding Linora with interest, the journeyman just smiles encouragingly, eyebrows raised in anticipation of her to continue. "And how d'you plan on doing that?" he asks in a friendly voice, deciding to help her out a little.

Blank look. Plan? Linora swallows. She hadn't really had a /plan/... of course, maybe that's been her whole problem all along. Bracing herself for ... whatever, she's not sure, she plunges ahead. "Maybe... um... I mean, if you're not too busy and stuff... maybe you could mentor me?" Is that how one asks? He /did/ write the book, after all. Who better to ask?

"Sure." Yes, it really is that easy - or maybe it's just Keris who's that ea.... ahem. Nevermind. "If you're wanting to specialize in the art of Charting," yes, it's an art. An /art/, "then I'd be happy to mentor you. I've always room for more mentees." Beam, beam, goes the goldilocked face of the journeyman again. "Though right now I do have to go teach a class... stop by later and get your badge perhaps, hmm?"