Welcome to Gaia! ::

Janlu had returned to her room this quiet morning to meditate a bit after breakfast in anticipation of the day ahead. It was one of the rare mornings she would be up and about way before anyone else could be seen. Normally, she would wait until she heard some life in the temple, some sign that others were awake and headed to eat before she ventured out to join them for food. Today, however, she couldn't wait for anyone else. She still had do much to think about, some more recent aspects frustrating, some captivating, some she was unwilling to admit to herself just yet, but trying to surpass the barriers she had set for herself. It was all very confusing, but Janlu was determined to put an end to her self-induced conflicts. There she sat, in the safety of her room to contemplate these issues until reality and the present come knocking at her door.

Janlu's ear twitched towards the door when she heard a faint knock. Saying nothing to acknowledge it, she simply got up to check the door. Seeing Tetro she greeted with a smile, "Hello, Tetro! How are you?" She wasn't quite sure how to ask what had brought him, but she was certain he would explain. There was still so much he must want to learn considering that he was as familiar with this galaxy as a small child. She just waited for his answer before thinking about anything else.

Janlu half suppressed a smile with Tetro's first comment. It was more habitual for her now, not that the mood really struck for a smile, but that one simply spoke so much without the need for words...something she could fall back on when she had no words to convey the complete opposite of what Tetro would perceive. This "language barrier" was difficult for her to adjust to, as well. Hearing his concerns, however, helped to dampen that smile. It must surely be lonly so far from home and your own kind, something Janlu would have the same issues with if she was so openly different. As it is, she could blend in quite nicely, not missing "home" as it was far from being homey, anyway. However, Tetro didn't have this luxury. He couldn't will himself to adapt as easily as anyone would look upon him as a foreigner and treat him as such. The least she could do was equate some of the more common human body language with something Tetro, himself, might be familiar with. All these thoughts merely took a moment before she decided on a better place to continue, "How about we go out to the garden, then?" she suggested, "Though the life may still look foreign to you, it should feel far enough away from all this..." she indicated around them, to the clutter, the man-made "prison" that Tetroneaque must be feeling has him locked within. The isolation alone must be overwhelming. At least the garden setting would allow for a neutral ground isolated from both ends, a feel of nothing besides nature, itself.

As early as it was, Janlu caught glimpse of the rising sun as it peeked out from the horizon. With a deep breath, she took in the fresh chilled air as they made their way outside. There was something soothing in that cold, something Janlu couldn't explain, but simply accepted. She found a nice patch of grassy area with some rocks and sat down, taking another deep breath for the aroma from the nearby flowers as they began to open their petals to greet the sunlight. Through the plant life was different enough from her own planet, she felt that belonging just being outside, but what of Tetro? He had much to adjust to and as much as Janlu wanted to help, she didn't know where to start. Before allowing herself to get lost, immersing herself in the surrounding life, she turned back to Tetro for some direction, "So what did you want to talk about?" she asked, now with a straight face and giving him a chance to explain where he'd start. Until he could completely comprehend the full scope of a smile, there was no use trying to communicate with one.

Janlu contemplated Tetro's issue and she had an idea where to begin, "Well, let's start with smiles, then," she smirked, "When you're happy of excited to meet someone new, what do you do that would indicate to them that you are harmless?" She wasn't going to give him the answer right out. Janlu could guess by the type of creature he was and by observing how Tetro would communicate. Although, recognizing this, she still wanted him to think of it on his own, coaxing him to see the reverse and understand the logic behind the behavior of other organisms that differ from himself, mainly the absence of a tail, in this case. She saw this like teaching a child, in which case, giving the answer would be unfair when all he needs is a sense of direction so he could find his way on his own...the true essence of learning.

Janlu couldn't help but laugh with the attempted smile after Tetro's little revelation. Seems he had caught on much faster than she anticipated, this was good! It showed his openness to understanding his new world quite readily. The smile, on the other hand... "Tetro...you know you really don't need to force a what doesn't come naturally," she chuckled, "but if you really want to achieve something like a smile..." she contemplated this for a moment, "maybe if you think about being extra excited to point of exhaustion, but without the actual exhaustion..." she tried to explain, but she realized at this point it might be more helpful to show him. A little reluctant to reveal her small private "secret," she thought about fighting her hesitation for the sake of being helpful. After all, who else could demonstrate it like she could? However, she also didn't like using her abilities so much, feeling as it was a private ability and Janlu wasn't a showoff. This was a difficult decision for her, but she felt she could trust Tetro, despite having just met him only recently, but she often had good judgement in these matters and she trusted her instincts when it came to people's characters. Still, it would be a big leap for her to actually take the form of one of his kind.

Tetroneaque thought on how Janlu was explaining how to smile properly and tried it again, getting it a bit closer to the mark this time though it caused his tongue to stick out a bit. It was much how a canine might actually smile. His ears perked up at the sound of movement behind him though, his smile vanishing as he turned his head and spotted Sherasti in the garden.

"Oh, hello Sherasti... I didn't expect to see anyone else up this early in the morning. Though to be honest I haven't really been much of an early riser myself." He let out a nervous chuckle then, caught a little off guard by her sudden appearance.

"I was just having a chat with Janlu... she's helping me not feel so alone..." His ears perked up and his eyes widened as he realized what he'd just said and how it's meaning could be taken. "I mean, it's just I've been having a hard time adjusting to this galaxy and it's customs... it's hard trying to fit in and she's helping explain these things to me." He added quickly, one of his large tails curling around him as he held it to his chest and started to stroke it absently.

Sherasti felt a little bad for Tetro. The poor fellow was somewhere that he had no familiarity with, and knew hardly anything about it sounded like. She gave him a reassuring smile before speaking.

"Tetro, from what I understand from my short time here is that you're never alone in this place. We're all Outcasts here, and this is a place of learning. You may be the only of your kind in this galaxy...but you fit in here, with the rest of us. You'll get the hang of all the customs, especially with help from friends."

She then turned to Janlu, answering her question.

"I'm always up early, Janlu...whenever possible, I enjoy meditating while watching the sunrise. It's very peaceful and enjoyable. I was actually surprised to hear you two talking, truth be told. I rarely encounter anyone else up this early."