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.
Sometime during the day one lone little rider comes trudging down the hall and there's knock on the doorway to the office before said greenie is poking her head in. "Xe'ter? You in here?" she asks quietly, even after she looks down the hall again for moment.
There's something almost like a chuckle from inside the spacious office at /that/ question…but Xe'ter seems to be there, alright. He's just not at his desk. Despite all odds, he's got his feet propped up on the central table in the little seating area…and as a glass of wine in hand, with a thick book of typed pages spread out on his lap. It's a strange and rarely seen air of relaxation for the young bronzerider…and it vanishes almost instantly, as he sets the glass right down. "Keziah." It's greeting all wrapped up in a polite package, "Come in, please."
Keziah slips on in "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you. Just it's not been easy to catch a rare moment with you." she notes. At least she's not as obscenely huge as she was almost three months ago. "I just was kind of wondering, what I mean is I wanted to ask, um, what you've thought about Ers'lan managing of the wing." she says after a moment's thought, seeming to change which direction she was going verbally as she heads over to the seating area.
Xe'ter takes his feet off the table, too…and makes a gesture, "Come sit down…though I might ask why you're asking…what's /your/ opinion of Ers'lan's job?" The question comes, not as cagey, but almost naieve…Faranth's headknobs, but he looks really really young!
Keziah tilts her head a little "Well, I ask you, because /you/ are Weyrleader. I myself haven't anything to fault him for." she notes as she takes a seat. "Though, I suppose there's another reason for asking you, as opposed to you just being the Weyrleader." she murmurs. Though, instead of mentioning that reason she asks yet another question "What have you thought about the candidates that've come into the Weyr?"
Xe'ter chuckles a bit, "Well, I've nae found anything with his leadership s'far…so. That's what I think of Ers'lan's job performance. How he conducts himself outside a'that…well. Lass…I'd like to see him shore /that/ up a tot." He shrugs, his broadened shoulders rising and falling like a slow, low wave. "An what do I think o'the Candidates? Shards…I can't remember being that…clueless." He grins, affiably.
Keziah laughs a little and shakes her head at his mention of /them/ being clueless, but she keeps her mouth shut. "Well, I'm mainly asking because of them I guess." she notes. "What I mean is, sir." yup, she's gone a little formal "I was thinking about stepping down permanently from wingleadership." she admits. "I was also thinking how much I miss assisting with weyrling training."
Xe'ter quirks a brow at that, just a little…and then rephrases it a bit. Just in case, "Wha' yer asking is…can ye leave Ers'lan in charge…so ye can try and raise up the next batch o'Weyrlings? Ye want to do that on purpose?" As if that were almost a startling thing to hear anyone WANTing to do!
"I enjoyed it the last time I did." she notes "And well V'dim isn't that scary. So long as you don't do something stupid." she adds and then sighs "He's getting on in his years though, and well. I'd hate to see anyone try to take advantage of that. Not that I'm sure he can't handle himself. "But yes, I'd like to leave Ers'lan in charge, and honestly sure, I'd hate to have the situation be seen as a conflict of interests considering the umm." she pauses a moment and then shrugs "Considering the relationship."
There's a bit of quiet, as the young man's eyes drift to Thea's empty desk…and then back to the greenrider, "Aye, well…I canna see it being the worst idea I've heard around here." And this is Xanadu…it's likely he's heard a few. "Pity…I were thinking of askin' if you'd take the Cargo wing…but if ye'd rather volunteer yerself for that."
Keziah blinks a moment. "Cargo wing?" she asks, her eyes wide a moment and then she shakes her head "No sir." she notes "I don't think I'm truly suited for Wingleadership." she notes "As honored as I am that your were thinking about that, I really don't think it would be in the best interests of the wing." There's a pause and then she smiles "That and there's no way I can hope to feel Ro's shoes. Have you seen his feet, and then mine?"
Xe'ter chuckles a bit, and smiles, "Aye, well…" Perhaps he knows what the greenrider means, when it comes to R'owan's shoes. "Alas. I'll have t'go with my second idea then. Well…s'long as V'dim doesnae throw you out on yer ear…I've no trouble with the suggestion. This lot…they're going to need all the help they can get."
Keziah laughs "Your second idea?" she asks and just shakes her head a little "I appreciate it sir, and I do try to keep my nose clean where V'dim is concerned. "And well, depends on who all Impresses, there's a few level heads out there to chose from. But then dragons, they don't always chose the level headed ones. Do they?"
Xe'ter snorts, and says very flatly, "Nay, they do not." Very, very flatly, "An' I have my hopes up on one or two, but tis bad manners for me t'go gloating about em. Might make em nervous or worse. Romth's got his favorites too." He chuckles at that, and then asks, "An ye? Anyone ye have eyes on? I see there's already wagers stacked up on a few of them."
Keziah smiles "I've my thoughts on a few. Course, sometimes it's a shame that we only search younger boys, not younger girls. I certainly wouldn't mind sticking a few out there. But alas." she smiles, not that she mentions names.
Xe'ter clears his throat a bit at /that/, "Aye, well…we let the ladies stand longer, as well…so tis all fair. Asides…dragons will rise…there'll be other clutches after this one. Give the lasses time to grow up, eh?"
Keziah chuckles "Aye well, some of them lads need to grow up a little as well." she notes "Still, they can be malleable when young, but oh my. I swear they seem younger and younger every Turn." she notes as she regards Xe'ter thoughfully.
Funny, he goes a bit pink, then blushy, the outright magenta for a few moments. Yeah. The Weyrleader whose dragon is a mere 5 and a half turns of age. "I were a fair 15 when I stood…there were some younger than myself, actually, at Ista."
Keziah tilts her head a little "Shards, I didn't think you could look any younger, but you do when you blush. Actually kinda cute." she laughs and shakes her head a little "And Oh, I don't doubt there was more that were younger. Just saying. Just glad ye weren't fifteen when ya flew Seryth" she notes with a smile. "Well, I also do wanna apologize fer the troubles I'd been givin' ya."
The apology is apparently a bit of an antedote, and it draws him back closer to center, "Aye, well. We all have our troubles…hop'fly ye know who your friends are…and ye won't hold it against Thea or myself for siccin' that Mindhealer on ye." Or three. "Yer littles'll need ye."
Keziah coughs a little "No, no I'm not holdin' that against you. Actually, umm I'd like to thank you for that. I think it was needed." she shrugs a little and now it's her turn to blush a little "Though, I suppose I do hope you won't hold it against the mindhealers for letting me realize my limitations."
Xe'ter chuckles a bit at that, "Realizin' how fast ye can sail when the wind's again'ye is more important than learning that ye can sail against it atall. Yer a fine rider, lass…" Alas, he does lass JUST about everyone! "An' though I'm nae more than a stranger, ye seem a good friend and ally to those ye hold dear. If ye'll do better for the Weyrlings…well. As Da always says, if ye canna be a shining example, be a stark warnin' o'what not t'do."
Keziah chuckles "Aye, your Da be havin' a good point." she notes "And well, I wouldnae be callin' ya a stranger. And I do like ta look out fer those I consider dear and important to me." she notes softly and she then stands "Course, I should be gettin back and check on the Trio." she notes sofly. She then pauses a moment "Now, I know Lan and ye don't be gettin' along all to well, which is a shame, cause you've been real nice." There's another pause and then she grins "He'll be pissed with me, but I certainly have no problems with ya spendin' time with the Trio iffen ya want. I've not forgotten yer offer, and well. I really appreciated it at the time."
Xe'ter chuckles a bit, and makes a strange gesture, "Nay…the little ones there, they have a Da…I'd nae horn in on Ers'lan. Much fun as it is to make his back get stiff and his eyes get all…" He makes a face…and it's an uncanny replica of the LOOK the former sailor can get when he's all…/that/ way. "They're right lucky…to know their ma and da."
Keziah just can't help but laugh "Oh sweet Faranth, you do that too well." she shakes her head a little "I suppose they are lucky." she notes and looks thoughful. "But still, I've been tryin' to collect uncles fer 'em too. But again, thank you sir. You've been most generous and I should let you go back to your duties."
Xe'ter chuckles and shrugs…then gestures to the wine and the papers, "Nae…I'm readin' for pleasure. The wine's not bad either…care for some?"
Keziah shakes her head "No, but thank you. I don't drink." she notes "And well, you do need to take time to take care of yourself. I like ya lookin' young. Don't need ya lookin' old before your time."
Xe'ter snorts a bit, "I could use a few more grey hairs." Yeah. He has like…exactly NONE. "See if they'd take me a bit more seriously. If it werenae for P'rel…well. Now they just look at BOTH of us oddly at Conclave."
Keziah snorts a little "Yeah, well at least our Weyrleader is a little more mature." she remarks and just laughs and shakes her head "Well sir, it was good talking with you. Real good." she says as she smiles "You have a good day now."
Xe'ter nods a bit, and picks his glass of wine back up…along with his thick book. Alas…looks like he's reading…what? Emergency procedures…for fun?