Breaking the News
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Xanadu Weyr - Weyrsecond and Jr Weyrwomans' Office

Office or study? Perhaps this room is a little of both. It is spacious and airy with the big windows opposite the door looking northwards, a perfect aspect when one is this far south. Those windows are framed by dark forest green drapes, soft ribbons and braid in dark, rich gold sewn along the edges to give them a sumptuous look. The back wall is covered by shelves that hold a variety of things - mostly records and reference material as well as writing tools and sheets of hide and paper. Tapestries, including several lovely scenes of the terrain around Xanadu Weyr, cover the rest of the wall-space while a soft, plain off-white rug hides the stone floor. A small, low table sits by the door and usually has some refreshment set out on it.
Several broad desks are arranged around the room, each one set so someone sitting at it doesn't look directly at any of the others. Small screens can be set up on each desk to give a little more privacy and each has one comfortable chair that goes with it. So far, it looks like one desk has a permanent claimant. There are also several other chairs, which can be used by visitors.


It's nearly dinnertime at Xanadu this winter eve and there is much to be done yet before the Weyrwoman is finished with her work for the day. The offices will be closed soon, at leasts they're supposed to close so those working within can have some time to rest and recoup for tomorrow. Of late she's trying not to overdo because she's setting the example - ha! Nothing, nothing at all to do with being accountable to her steward and his checking of her calendar, right? Riiiight. There's one thing she must do before today is done and so it is that the knock sounds upon the door to the junior Weyrwoman and Weyrsecond's office and Thea pokes her head in the door to see who is there before stepping inside and shutting that door behind her. "Girls, I need a moment," she says casually. Casually because she's rarely formal with them so why start now? The Weyrsecond's desk has remained vacant since she fired D'had half a turn ago - that'll make a convenient perch and so she sits on the corner of the big desk and eyes her Juniors. Where to start? Might as well just say it, so she does, bluntly and calmly, "A'dmar hasn't really been on medical leave." A beat, "I fired him."

Much of Briana's time of late has been near the hatching sands. Now free of her duties to the sands, This evening has found her at her desk, with her babe in a sling across her chest. Paperwork is at least healer sanctioned as she recovers from the delivary even if she is not at full strength yet. It was not too long ago that Briana and Derin moved to one of the guest weyrs closer to the weyr proper, instead of her deep forest weyr. Perhaps just to make it easier on the pregnant rider whose dragon is sand bound. As the Weyrwoman enters, Briana looks up from her paperwork and pushes herself to rising as she seas Thea. "Good evening.." She starts and settles back carefully into her seat as Thea perches on the desk. At the announcement from Briana blinks in surprise, "but you can't.." She starts before covering her mouth with a hand. "What has he done?" She asks as she slowly drops her hand to the sling dropped across her chest, a protective gesture to the baby inside.

Esiae is there indeed. Clearly not expecting company outside of those in the room, the junior is reclined deep into her chair, feet propped up on her ornate desk. A book rests on her stomach, a clipboard leaning against it so she can see from this awkward position. One foot swings in time to a song in her head, a beat that has followed her for the last four turns. She's spaced out enough that Thea's entrance gives her a start, book sliding off her lap to thud on the floor. Her work is luckily intact as she slides into an upright position and sets it aside, nodding sheepishly to the weyrwoman. "Of course," she says, tracking Thea's progress across the room. Lips purse ever-so-slightly for Thea's choice of seating, but perhaps wisely, she doesn't comment… and then is taken by surprise for the second time in five minutes. Pale brows shoot ceiling-wards with the news, eyes wide for only a moment before she snorts. "Well, good. He wasn't much fun, anyways." Golden-brown eyes swivel over to observe Briana for her reaction, head tilting curiously to one side as she looks to Thea for that question. She hasn't changed her opinion on the matter, but that doesn't mean she's not curious!

Precisely what Thea has supposed – the move closer in from the forest is so the once-pregnant Junior could be closer to both hatching grounds and healers as her time drew near. Her lips quirk in amusement at Esiae’s sheepish demeanor, but she says nothing about how the young woman is sitting. Her own corner perch upon the Weyrsecond desk might be casual but it’s prim when one knows what she’s done on that desk when Dhad occupied it – only no one does. Ice green eyes swing Briana’s way when she speaks, slim brows twitching up slightly at the word can’t. “Oh yes. I can.” She says smoothly, unperturbed. “I already have,” she adds with an unconcerned lift of one shoulder. And then she adds, “It's… traditional. It's called executive privilege and it's been done before in times past. I’ve researched it. Z’van has been Acting Weyrleader while A’dmar recovers from his feline wounds but I’ll be appointing someone… else to take over until Seryth rises again.” Though she doesn’t comment to it, Briana’s shock does not go unnoticed, nor does Esiae’s remark, although that earns a long look from the Weyrwoman. Her unexpressed expression asks – perhaps dares them answer the question: does anyone have a problem with this?

Briana looks over to Esiae then back to Thea, "Leaders don't need to be fun, they need to protect…he has been doing that." Her hands remain protective over her son and she looks down to them as she tries to order thoughts suddenly thrown in disarray. "I am sorry…I know you can…but …I.." She says fumbling with words as she tries to come up with a straight thought. "What did he do? To get fired? He got injured protecting Xanaduins. He made sure.." She starts before stopping again and shaking her head. "Those are real threats he acted on. It wasn't a whim…can you impress that upon whoever takes his place?" The words come out in a rush and there is even a hint of fear in her eyes. Perhaps emotions made stronger by the rush of new motherhood.

"Let me rephrase that: he wasn't nice," Esiae drawls, hands tucking behind her head. "He was a butt. Do you like butts? Because I don't like butts." There is a pause, a small frown, and then: "… Well, yes, I do like butts, but not butts, just butts." Coughing aloud to get herself back on track, the once-Istan rolls her shoulders in a shrug. "What I meant to say was, he wasn't exactly endearing. Protectful, sure. Threats acted upon, yeah. Who isn't, really. But shards, you're a face of the weyr - smile a little. Review Diplomacy 101. Something." Esiae's tone is expressive, but it isn't mean, and she issues one or two airy laughs from her nose before sobering a bit, gaze returning to Thea. She will not wilt under that daring look! She will not! "Sounds like you have it in hand, Thea. If there's anything we can do to help the acting weyrleaders settle until things are decided, let us know?" For all her joking, Esiae is concerned. It shows in the crease around her mouth and a subtle gravity in her eyes that likes to hide behind the laughter. "And for that matter, if you need anything too." She leans down to pick up the book that has stayed on the floor since the weyrwoman's entrance. One brow sneaaaaks back up for Briana's comment, but being a junior has apparently given Esi a lesson in tact, for she says nothing.

A’dmar wasn’t nice, that’s putting it mildly. Thea grimaces, but not from annoyance. No it’s more akin to distaste though for the subject at hand rather than the Junior’s stating the obvious. “I know what he’s done, Briana,” she says, with dry and subtle sarcasm. She does, after all, share an office with the man. Or did. “I don’t have a problem with how he handled the felines,” she adds, tilting her head at the next request. Suggesting how the Weyrwoman do her job? Her lips thin and she allows a span of time to pass before she answers. Perhaps summoning patience? More likely trying not to laugh at Esiae’s impertinent commentary, but her face doesn’t reflect her struggle. Evenly, she assures Briana, “I’m pretty sure all of the wingriders, Z’van included, are aware that the felines are a real threat?” She’s not really understanding the fear, they are just felines. As for A’dmar, her answer, while sounding flippant carries a hard edge and it’s obvious she’s still quite angry at the ex-Weyrleader, “Where to start?” What was that about butts, Esiae? She ticks her list off on her fingers one by one, “Being an ass to my weyrfolk, being a bigger ass to my Steward, refusing to communicate with me, subversion, sabotage…” She lifts a brow in a silent ‘satisfied?’ question to the dismayed Briana.

Briana looks over to Esiae as she gives her accounting of the man. "He was a hard man, made hard by circumstances. I could have easily become that. My mother is like that. " It seems she came to know the man a little to defend him so. At Thea's words Briana looks down a moment and takes a steadying breath. "Maybe given time.." She starts before shaking her head a bit. A look of guilt touching her face as she looks up. "He was acting on a threat against me and the weyr. While everyone was away with the herding…" She stops short at the words of sabotage and subversion, clearly surprised by those. Maybe she didn't know him well after all. "What did he do?" She asks in a light voice, her hands stroking the bundle slung cross her chest. Yes she is in lioness, overprotective mode.

Esiae regards Briana for a long moment, clearly weighing her answer. "But you didn't," she finally says, adjusting into a more casual posture in her seat. "There's a difference between letting your circumstances guide you, and letting them define you. I don't know what you nor A'dmar went through, so if you tell me there's no measure of choice in his actions, I may believe you, but…" She shrugs, turning her head away from the conversation before her tone can sour. "Sorry, I just don't understand having 'good intentions' but a terrible attitude. It doesn't make sense." Though that favorite brow of hers raises again, Esi doesn't seem completely surprised at Thea's information reveal, snorting under her breath as she restacks her papers for something else to do. If anything, it probably confirms her views on the ex-weyrleader.

Briana can be in protective mode for her babe. Presumably A’dmar is a grown man who needs neither protection nor others to speak for him. “Your mother wasn’t responsible for leading a Weyr,” says Thea with a hint of disbelief in her tone to find her junior is making excuses for the man’s immature and pompous behavior. It seems she’s gotten to know the man in a way that her Junior has not! “That isn’t up for discussion,” she says with a snort for the repeated request for information. “I’ve given him all the time he’s getting and that’s final,” she says firmly, her hand flips, dismissively consigning the Iernian out of her thoughts. She’s finished discussing him though she gives Esiae an approving nod for her sentiment. Clearly the Weyrwoman thinks she makes sense. Though at the word ‘threat’ her ice-green gaze returns to pin the other Junior, with an ominous-sounding, “What threat?” Implied: There has better be a very good reason why Briana failed to mention it to her!

Briana looks between the women and nods, "I am sorry, I don't mean to challenge. No doubt I missed much of late and just caught by surprise." She offers as apology for her response to this news. "No she wasn't and perhaps I am just missing her of late that I draw the comparison." A new mother herself, it is a time when a girl might want her mother near, but that is hardly an option for Briana. At the question of the Threat, Briana looks down to her son again as she gathers her thoughts. "It was when you were away at the herding, when A'dmar set the traps for the felines. He was here and you were not at that time. I received a warning from my…uncle. That he feared for my safety as there was a new faction in the group. That was the night A'dmar moved me to the guest weyr. I thought…" She starts before shaking his head, "I thought he would have passed on this. My focus at the time was to keep the eggs safe."

“He never said a word to me about you being threatened,” Thea says grimly. Perhaps it is now clear why the Iernian Weyrleader was fired. The rest of what the young woman says perplexes the Weyrwoman. Keep the eggs safe? And yet she never mentioned a word of concern to her own Weyrwoman? “The safety of the Weyrfolk is MY business, Briana. I was gone for a few hours at most. That you failed to notify me of this leads me to wonder just where your loyalties lie. I think… you’d better give that some serious thought.” A glance is sent towards Esiae as she rises from her desk-seat and turns to head out. Perhaps it's a silent request that she try and talk some sense into the three-turn elder than her Junior. Faranth knows she can't seem to do it! Without saying anything further, she exits. It's probably just as well at this point.

When Thea had walked in, Sorrin had been face-first in her usual pile of work that is half personal and half Weyr-related. The eldest of Xanadu's Weyrwomen had a personal stake in the Weyr's runner stock, and thus she spent an inordinate amount of time looking over that sort of thing. Of course, she also made the most excuses to get out of it, if only to spend some time out with the beasts that had become the most important part of her life and livelihood for most of her long turns. Now, though, she just sits back and watches the Senior. For all that Thea is more than a decade younger, she is /far/ more experienced in Weyr matters than Sorrin. Letting the younger women talk, it takes a while before she speaks up, toying with the long braid of her hair. "Not everyone who impresses bronze is a good fit for leadership." There is, perhaps, some undertone of saying: Not everyone who impresses gold, either. Afterall, though Sorrin and Yumeth are the elders, they've shown no interest in being a senior, here or elsewhere. "whatever his intentions, maybe he just wasn't a good fit for Xanadu."

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