[h3][color=f49ac2]Lyn[/color], Messhall[/h3]

[color=00a651]"Eat a horse? Hoofs an all?"[/color] The red haired woman teased. 

[color=pink]“I feel that way”[/color] Lyn admitted, her shoulders shrugged. Her fingers started to rip the ham into pieces while her stomach growled and rumbled  in protest, wanting food now rather than be patient. She frowned at not being able to feed it fast enough while focusing on the others chatter. 

[color=00a651]"You must have trained very hard to work up such an appetite Lyn. I hope you gave Tyrael a good fight!"[/color]

 Meirin’s next comment caught her off guard causing her to pause. Her lip bit down on her bottom lip then released when she replied. [color=pink]“Not exactly… I sort of gave him a scare when I played dead. It was the only way I could think of actually getting him close enough I could cripple him. I feel really bad about it.”[/color]

 She popped the ham in her mouth before her appetite turned to ashes over recalling the memory. Unlike her god uncle, who was half demon, Lidda’s novice vitamancers managed to mend her own cut until it was nothing more than a scar. When she noted Meirin’s confused expression, she slowed in her eating for a moment and pondered on the reason. It was made clear in a few moments when she heard Meirin stutter and finally start in on the first thing she knew. It wasn’t a place to take lightly. 

[color=00a651]"I... We... You're going on the Djarkel Mission, Lyn? We're not heading up there for fun and games. We're heading to Djarkel on a diplomatic mission to make sure the college's allies are okay. It might not be as dangerous as the caravan mission, but it is Djarkel. Djarkel is always dangerous. Not only that but because it's a diplomatic mission just being strong won't be enough. You have to be smart and good with words. We'll be talking to some very important people, and we have to be on our best behavior. Not only do we have to make sure we look good, but we have to make the college look good too."[/color] Merin started, causing Lyn to frown and gently put down the meat, her arms folded in front of her. She looked hard at her friend and teacher, not clearly enjoying being treated like an infant despite the fact her age reflected it. 

The last bit was the last straw however when Meirin topped off the last of her comment with this. [color=00a651]"Do you think you can handle all of that? Not only could there be fighting, but we have to talk to people and make them happy too. We have to be very careful about what we say or else we could lose our friends."[/color] 

Lyn let her tongue slip out, hissing in irritation with an annoyed expression on her face. Normally it made her look more adorable rather than fierce, unlike her mother, as she puffed out her chest a bit and was about to retort. She was spared wasting the breath when her uncle stepped in with his own thoughts.   


[b] “Do not let your emotions cloud your judgement, Kurenai. Lyn may be part human but she is also a naga. They have lived countless centuries in the Ravine, where lives are short and violent. They must learn how to survive and thrive in a short time or they would not have lasted this long. You may think Lyn is still a child because of her chronological age but rest assure Lyn is an adult now. She is more than capable of handling any situation thrown at her, be it combat or political intrigue. Lyn is not some naive youth who lacks worldly experience.”[/b] 

 [color=f49ac2]“Thank you Uncle Tyrael.”[/color] Lyn stated, clearly and exhaled in relief. 

At least someone believed in her, she thought and she retracted her tongue. She about started in on her meal again when uncle Tyrael did something strange. His hand waved and a portal erupted from the air, the heat wafting off and shimmering creating slight waves from the hot orange inside. He casually reached, without any concern for his well being, then pulled out a grey rock. She narrowed her eyes with curiosity noting the large shape and crude carved rune upon the surface, her body leaned into Tyrael and stood up a bit to see better over his shoulder. 

When he passed it over to her, she blinked in surprise. It was heavy as it looked caused her study it, her eyes roaming over the surface and listened to Tyrael’s [b] “Lyn, take this stone with you. It is… A rock. A pet Rock. His name is Titan. This is a test of sorts. I want Lyn to take care of this stone while she is on her mission. She needs to bring it back to me, whole, as proof of her competence. It may seem strange to take care of a rock, but if Lyn cannot even do a simple task like this, I would be inclined to agree with your doubts Kurenai.”[/b] 

He turned to speak to her directly. [b] “And of course it is a gift. If you can bring it back to me, Lyn, the rock is yours to keep.”[/b]
Lyn stopped studying the rock then looked up, her head turned to Tyrael. She nodded but remained silent, not sure what to say. She was happy he trusted her but this felt like a childish task and something she didn’t like. Everyone, including her mother, didn’t seem to understand she was pretty much grown up and this was getting depressing. 

[color=f7941d]”Personally, I do not believe it is useful to compare you to anyone else, Naga or Human, Lyn. As fortunate or unfortunate as you may find it, we cannot escape the reality that you are fundamentally unique. Since your birth, you have matured at an unbelievable pace. Your mind absorbs, understands, and retains far more information, far more quickly and efficiently than any other person could hope to match. It is exceptional, almost supernatural; I personally wish it was something I could study, but that is beside the point. The point being that you are capable, mentally and physically, of doing this. The mission, I mean. ”[/color] 

Leaning forward onto the table, Ssarak took on a more serious tone which was slightly out of the norm for him. [color=f7941d]”However, there is a detail on which I do not agree with you entirely, Tyrael. No matter how exceptional your learning abilities, Lyn, there is something that cannot be taught: experience. Most people have well over a decade, usually almost two, of mistakes and successes to build their judgment before they are considered an adult. You simply have not had time to gather those experiences. Granted, you will learn from your experiences far more quickly, and of course, the only way to gain experience is to go out into the world and [i]have experiences[/i]. I do not wish to persuade you in any particular direction, I just want to lay out the full situation as it is. Djarkel will be dangerous, and you will certainly be exposed to things you have never experienced before, not all positive. It is up to you if it is the environment in which you want to gain your real-world experience.”[/color]

Lyn sighed, then replied. [color=pink]“I understand the situation fine, yet… I think you’re all overlooking a few important details. It’s only in the College will I ever be treated as a child. Outside, past these walls, no one will ever know I was born a year ago. They won’t see me as a child, but an adult no matter how you explain it. What do I do then?”[/color]

She pushed her plate to the side for a moment, placing the stone upon the table with a heavy thump. [color=Pink] “I don’t want to grow up, but I don’t think I have much of a choice. So, it’s either I depend on you all for the rest of my life or I learn now how to grow up and live. You can help me or not in the end, but I hope it's the first. I can use it.”[/color]