Xanadu Weyr - Weyrleaders' Office
Office and retreat, this is the domain of Xanadu's Weyrleaders. The door is in the eastern wall, quite close to the southern end while the northern wall is dominated by big, expansive windows, framed by sumptuous deep blue drapes edged with a brilliant gold braid and tied back with a thick rope of braided gold and blue cord. In between, the eastern wall is covered floor to ceiling with shelves that house all sorts of records, manuals and supplies that are used on a day-to-day basis. The southern wall has the Weyrleader's desk — plain fellis wood, well polished and masculine. From behind his desk, the Weyrleader can look straight through the windows and out onto the main airspace of Xanadu. The western wall is where the Weyrwoman's desk resides: a lovely piece of furniture made of warm cherry wood. From her seat, a glance sideways gives her an equally good prospect out the window. There are a few other seats, some comfortably arranged around a low round table for small, informal meetings while there also some that can be drawn up to one of the desks.
On the south side of the door, the space is occupied by a low oblong table where refreshments can be set without someone needing to intrude. There is also an 'incoming' tray where incoming correspondence or similar items can be left.
It's late, long after dinner, the Weyr is settling with many already in bed and yet Thea makes no appearance at the weyrbarn. Dinner in the Caverns is all there is to be had tonight because nothing is cooking back home. Was she even at dinner? Likely she has not. No, instead she is here, behind that closed office door deeply into some document or other, head propped on her hand, lips moving silently while she concentrates.
Having missed seeing her at dinner in the caverns and missing her at home D'had has made his way back to the administration wing of the weyr. When he comes to the Weyrleader's Office door he doesn't knock. Not hearing voices from behind it he simply lets himself in. "You planning on sleeping here? Pretty sure our bed is more comfortable."
Thea's head had actually nodded there and the voice startles her back awake with a squeak, her head jerking up at the same time. Wide eyed, and ignoring her racing heart. "Donn. I didn't hear you come in." Her smile is a bit on the weak side, don't mind her. She just nearly had a heart attack. "No." As she re-focuses on that paper, she admits, "I was going to stay up all night. Didn't the nannies tell you?" She raises her eyes again with dark brows lifted questioningly, "They did get Muir and Marella to you, right?" Because they should have brought the twins home, fed bathed and in their pajamas.
D'had ahs, nodding as he drops into a chair across the desk from her. "So you were just gonna work all night and expect to be ready for tomorrow and not tell me. Hmm?" Dark eyes settle on her for a long moment. As for the twins, "Yeah, they're home. In bed." Alone? "Hali's with 'em while I came to check on you." He's smarter than that.
Thea's brain is in the place where one would be when the owner hasn't eaten since …breakfast(?)… and spent all day answering questions, soothing complaints, and pouring over papers until her eyes cross. She stares at those dark eyes dumbly for a long moment. "I told you." She's sure she did. "I think I did anyway." There's a little confused blink at a list by her elbow. 'write note to Donn' is not checked off. Oops. Sea green eyes lift to his. "I'm sorry, I meant to tell you."
D'had shakes his head. No, she didn't tell him that. "You look tired," he comments. "Have you eaten today?" is the question that follows, gaze still trained on her while he waits for an answer. "Come on home. Say good night to the twins. Get some sleep."
"I meant to send a note with the nannies for you." And of course she forgot to write it. Has she eaten? Her eyes wander somewhere over D'had's left shoulder while she tries to recall. "I…" Cue the return of that guilty expression on Thea's face. She brightens and rises from her chair, steps around her desk, fingers trail across D'had's back as she passes him on the way to D'son's desk. She retrieves a plate, and returns triumphant. "I had cookies! Want one?" They're probably stale by now, but they're so pretty with the pink icing and yellow writing on them. One hand smothers a yawn while she waits to see if he'll take the plate. Longingly, because soft bed, warm arms around her and sweet babies fresh from their bath pulls at her, "I… can't. It's the only time I can get people to leave me alone."
"Meant to," D'had repeats raising a brow. Meant to and did are different. "Cookies," he comments when those are presented, "ain’t dinner," he reminds as if trying to explain that very simple fact to their pair of toddlers. "You’re not gonna last very long spendin’ every night awake."
Of course they are different things, but it wasn't like she was thoughtlessly ignoring his needs purposely. Thea sighs. "I did apologize, Donn." The plate is set with a thump on her desk since he's not interested in them or noticing the names written on the tops. Her intent to share a laugh fades with his comment about dinner, which receives a mild stare. "You asked me if I'd eaten. You didn't specify dinner." She moves away towards the window, pulling aside the heavy drapes to lean her forehead wearily against the pane and stare out over the darkened Weyr. "I'm not going to stay awake every night."
D'had nods, "I know babe," he replies, standing to follow her to the window. There he wraps arms around her waist, resting chin on her shoulder. "I know ya ain't," he comments, "But I know ya too and once ya start…" she'll try to keep going. "Come home, get some sleep and start early." At least he can be rational sometimes.
So tempting, to give in to the pull inside that is tugging at her and Thea does at least lean back into that embrace with a sigh and a closing of tired eyes. "It's just so…" Overwhelming right now, but she doesn't say that. Instead, "Every time I get focused on my work, my train of thought gets interrupted. I thought if I got through that… that mess-" Her fingers flutter over the shoulder D'had's not resting his chin on towards the desk and the document upon it, "-while there was no one around, I'd understand it."
"And if ya start early you'll have that, and," D'had goes on, "bet you'll understand it," whatever 'it' is, "Better when you're not exhausted." Logical reasoning coming from him? Well he could have just walked in and carried her out over his shoulder while she yelled at him.
He could have! Why didn't he? She might just be too tired to yell and hey look! She's wearing office shoes, so there's no threat of boot-whapping this time. Sometimes logic just doesn't cut it. Thea is nothing if not stubborn, "But it needs to be finished by morning for the delivery rider."
Oh, he could have, but he thought he'd try her way first. Now however, that proving inadequate, he moves to scoop her up. "Weyrwoman or not," he starts. He is apparently going to make her leave if she won't on her own. "Ya start overworking yourself now, it ain't never gonna stop."
Surprisingly enough, the move takes Thea unaware. As she's scooped up, she squeaks, makes a grab for D'had's neck, throwing both arms around it to cling as if he'd drop her. Eye to eye now, she blinks at him innocently. "I'm not overworking, I'm just…" Her protest trails off into guilty silence. When she figures out a name for it, she'll finish that statement. "Let me down, so I can finish up, hmm?"
"Nope," D'had replies. Simple answer that, he's not letting her down. "We're going home and you're kissin' your kids goodnight." What she does after that is up to her perhaps, but he is seeing that that one thing happens at least.
"I kissed them goodnight at the nurs- Hey!" Thea's protest is one of disbelief rather than anger as D'had moves towards the door. "Donn." Pause. "Donn, I'm sure they're already asleep by now." They had better be. It's late. “Put me down!’
Well it sounded like a good excuse when he said it. "Nursery ain't the same as home babe," he explains on the way to the door, pulling it open with a foot. "And I still think a couple hours good sleep ain't gonna hurt nothin."
Thea is so tired that the logic - or illogic - of that statement silences her for the time it takes to move through the door. The hour is late and stone walls echo, so there's no yelling from her. And no kicking or writhing. Instead she's trying to sound like she means it. "Let me down! Yes it would too hurt. I'll be laaaaaate with the papers." What do they do to Weyrwomen who don't deliver on time?
D'had chuckles. Yes, he does find amusement in that demand and Weyrwoman or not he's not listening. "I'm sure you'll get it done in time. 'Sides if you're an hour late with it who's gonna say anything?" Beat. "Ain't sayin' ya should make it a habit or nothin', but you do need sleep."
What? Don't pick up his habit of getting stuff done at the last minute? Down the hall and into the caverns, Thea splutters the entire way. Quietly, of course. First reasoning with him, then bargaining until finally she tries ordering. By this time they're outside when she tries to sound all 'Weyrwoman-y and stern'. Tries and fails miserably. "Donn, as your Weyrwoman I demand you let me get back to work or I'll… I'll" She'll think of something. After about 10 seconds she triumphantly comes up with: "I'll give you TEN knots you don't want!" And then she spoils it by yawning.
D'had just shakes his head, more or less ignoring her protests the whole way until he finally has to laugh at that threat. "Think I'm only allowed one ‘a them," he comments. Really, how many people have multiple knots?
"I get to make the rules now. I can INVENT jobs just for you," Thea tells him, trying to make herself sound severe. He's properly in awe of her now, right? The effect is totally ruined when she smothers yet another yawn and lifts her arm to rub at her eyes with the heel of her hand like a child does when they're fighting sleep but insisting they're wide awake.
"You really think you're gonna want to enforce that?" D'had replies. "'Sides if I'm doin' extra jobs who's gonna put the twins to bed?" Because it's obviously not going to be her given her current insistence on spending all night up and working in her new office. "You're tired babe, couple hours ain't gonna hurt."
Stubbornly, "Yes!" Because Thea can't very well say no after her ridiculous boast, now can she? As for getting the twins to bed, "I will do it." Like she always has. Really, she intends to. There are long pauses between her protests, but she's likely unaware how slow-brained she really is right now. "No, I am not either tired I-" Again with the yawning that interrupts her train of thought. Her head comes to rest on D'had's shoulder. Lids drooping, she mumbles absently, "Remind me to fire you tomorrow…"
D'had chuckles. "Sure thing babe," he comments quietly. Oh, he'll remind her of that in the morning for sure. For now though, he's turning to push a shoulder to the door of their weyr, giving it a shove closed with his foot once inside.
And in the morning she'll tell him he was hallucinating last night, is he crazy?! There was no way she said that, he must have been dreaming. For now though, Thea has no reply because she's fallen asleep, head tucked in that hollow between D'had's shoulder and neck, limp in his arms. Really now. He totally missed the boot to the head while carrying her cross-weyr, right?