Not Really a Hiring Freeze
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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 a busy mid-morning at Xanadu as are all mornings. The Junior Weyrwoman's office is astir with comings and going of staff members seeking requisitions and schedules, minor problems to be taken care of. There seems to be a lull in the activity for the moment and in this brief period of calm, while other weyrwomen have stepped out for a bit of a break, Thea has remained behind and is seated at her desk. She's bent over a paper, an elbow on the desk's surface, her head propped by one hand. She studies the chart, lips moving soundlessly as she now and then ticks off something with a pencil.

It's this lull that D'son has been waiting for, keeping an eye on the traffic in and out past the door from his own office. He comes in with a clipboard, a printed letter tucked in topmost and knocks on the door frame, clears his throat. "Hey Thea, got a minute?" he asks politely, expression earnest.

Thea hears her name called and raises her head absently, rubbing at her eyes as she does so. "Yes?" Fatigue plays a big part in her casual response, for as her hand comes down she does a slight double-take, "I mean, yessir, sure." She flushes faintly, "Sorry was concentrating on-" She waves a hand at the chart in front of her as a polite smile curves her lips, "What can I do for you?"

"Hey, what're you sorry for?" D'son says with a cheery grin and then walks over, turns the clipboard around. "I uh — I have a letter ready for Hisolda. Vivian was helping me with it, but well, let's just say that things got a little complicated there and uh, I'd appreciate your point of view too before I send it or you know, head over there to talk to her."

Thea shrugs with a bit of an abashed grin, "Don't mind me. I'm just usually more, um, formal with my bosses." The mention of Hisolda has her attention and she's looking more alert, hope lights her eyes. "Oh yeah, Vivian. She's a Candidate now, huh?" There's not one bit of a smirk or gleam in her eye on that topic, no. She peeks at the clipboard he's holding out, then back to his face. "Be glad to help. Anything to get her back here. Do you want to sit?" She waves at the various chairs scattered about the office.

"Oh … well I'm not … really your boss," D'son says with a little shrug. "I mean, I am and I'm not at the same time." Beat. "I mean, you report to Niva, not me." Another pause and he waves his hands. "Oh it gets confusing, the whole Weyrwoman/Weyrleader division of whatever thing," he says with a sheepish laugh and then nods. "Mm. Inimeth said she should stand. So, she's standing. Of course I didn't imagine getting slapped in the face instead of a thank you," wry there and his hand lifts to rub at the spot where she left that mark a couple of weeks back. "Sure," he accepts the invite to sit and reaches for a chair, brings it over, leaving the clipboard in her care to look over the letter. "And yeah, it'd be good to have her back or to think about promoting someone if she's not coming back, ease the load, right?"

Thea laughs just a little at this, "It's a respect thing?" If that makes sense. "My Da drilled it into me. Old habits die hard." Then she's nodding in agreement, "Confusing it does get, true. Could say that about life in general." She sort of blinks at D'son as he speaks about Vivian. "Slapped you. Huh. That wasn't very nice. If she gets that gold she's always said she's going to get, she'll have you and Inimeth to thank." It's an absent reply as she reaches for that clipboard and begins to scan the letter, nodding in enthusiastic agreement, "Would be great to get her back even if only to have her train someone new. I could train someone, but yeah. So busy lately." An understatement.

"Yeah it's okay, I mean, better to be respectful or have the respect than not. It just … takes a little getting used to still." D'son nods down at his knot. "It still surprises me sometimes. Seeing this. On my shoulder." The Weyrleader looks up at Thea in surprise though, takes a breath. "She … she's always said that? Really? And well … it wasn't nice, no, but it was also um — not a very straightforward situation." He clears his throat, cheeks getting a little pink. The letter is pretty well written though maybe not as formal as it could be. It's definitely D'son's 'voice' on the page, polite, respectful, entreating but not begging. "Candidates. Vanishing goldriding weyrlings. Sheep. Clock towers. I swear, it makes my shifts as a wingleader look like a cake-walk in comparison."

Thea smiles at that, "It took getting used to for me as well when I first Impressed Seryth. All that ma'am this and ma'am that." She scowls slightly at that memory. "Took awhile to set them straight." She nods at D'son's question, a half-laugh coloring her reply, "Well, yeah. Not nice. That is Vivian." It's a dry-voiced observation before she explains the girl's assumption about her future status, "She stood for one of Kilaueth's and Lusiath sniffed her and passed her by for Kate. That's the one went missing. Anyway Vivian had a fit." She scans the letter, "This looks good, might want to offer Hisolda two assistants, she really could use them! They never replaced me when I impressed. Poor thing is getting up there in years."

"Yeah. I'm used to 'sir' from being a wingleader but it's still not quite the same," D'son admites with a nod. He blows out a breath and leans his elbows onto his knees. "You said something like that about Vivian before … I've seen some off-color behavior but, really? She had a fit?" Dels takes the letter back though, nodding. "Two. Got it. Sweeten the pot, right? And only two? Shells thought there were usually more than that even … Xanadu's been getting by with just two headwomen?"

Thea simply nods in regard to Vivian, "Was certain it was hers, marched off the sands upset. Storm came later. She's got her mother's temper, but not any of the diplomatic skills." She flashes D'son a glance, before continuing her scan of the page. "Actually they've been getting by with only Hisolda since I impressed. Could make it three assistants if you think it would help?" She taps the paper with her pencil thoughtfully, "Might want to assure her there won't be anymore ovines running about the Caverns too. She was pretty upset with that mess."

"Niva's temper?" D'son looks a little puzzled by that. "Not sure if I'd agree about that. She's been really good on the hold visits we've been doing and she's the one that helped me with that letter," he points out then blinks a few times. "Just Hisolda? No assistants??" That really seems to surprise Dels. "Uh sure … though tell me again, how'd that happen?" The sheep.

Thea nods, "She does, but you have to get her mad to see it." She flickers another one of those glances at him, a sort of discreet up-down this time and her mouth curves into a knowing smile. "Didn't say she was incompetent. She isn't. When she cares, she can be quite good." His question about Hisolda draws her away from that subject for a moment. "Yes, just Hisolda. Come to think of it, the old gal didn't get any days off for…" Her voice trails off, for a moment she is lost in thought, "Since just after I impressed. Might want to offer her some regular days off."

That look makes D'son color just a little bit more. "Right. Shame that … it's that way," he says quietly and he focuses on an item on Thea's desk, fingers reaching to absently toy with the edge of a piece of paper. "That's a long time without vacation," he says, looking somewhat scandalized. "I uh — how come there aren't any assistants?"

Thea's eyes are on that letter, "This is well-worded. I can't say if she'll come back, though." She misses the coloring, focused as she is on the topic at hand, "It is a long time. I think that's part of why she left. She just got so tired." She hands the clipboard back to D'son, his final question seeping into her fatigued mind. She blinks then puffs a dry laugh. "They heard our people are afraid of stupid ovines and let them in to wreck the place. No one wants to take the position." Her lips curl in scorn, her feelings about the whole situation still clearly evident.

"Thanks. Been working hard on making sure I say things right," D'son says, visibly pleased by the compliment. "Mm. Well, guess I'll talk to Niva about staffing, because you know, that's just not right," the Weyrleader says, brow wrinkling up faintly. He eyes the scorn on her face just as he starts to laugh. Cuts it off and swallows. "Um. I thought that was a joke."

"You've been working hard on a lot more than saying things right. Lot more sane around here since you've come." Thea says that casually before adding "Talk to Niva about taking a day off too, can you? Because, um, none of us have been and if -she- does, well." She leaves that thought, glances down at her chart. His laughing brings her head up in surprise before a slow smile and then she's laughing too. Her voice is wry, "No, no I assure you they actually got in and made a mess for a sevenday or so. Injured some folks. Hisolda was fit to be tied." She rolls her eyes, "They wouldn't let me feed 'em fellis-grain, either." That's still a sore-point with her, obviously. One hand reaches out to pat her crossbow sitting handily on the corner of her desk. "Next time, if there is a next time, and there's better not be, they're getting it."

"Have they?" That seems to perplex D'son further, but he nods. "I'll try. But you know, she's Niva. Maybe I'll enlist C'ian for that. Get him to take her somewhere. You know. Couple time," the Weyrleader muses thoughtfully. "Fellis-grain? Shells." Wide eyes at the crossbow. "I just … fish."

"Might want to try the fellis-grain on her too." Thea's kidding obviously, her lips quirking into a grin. "Fishing is relaxing. You don't hunt too? Thought all real men liked to hunt." Her voice is exaggerated in its disillusionment. She headtilts, "So just please tell me, if a ram charged you in the infirmary you wouldn't just hide behind a cot like the weyrsecond did would you?"

"Uhhh …" D'son ducks his head laughs a little. "Nope. Just fish. I hunt the bugs for bait though. But nope, never really got into shooting things." A lift of his shoulders. And then a blink. "Uhh. You know, I'm not sure what I'd do. Probably get Inimeth to roar at it."

Thea shakes her head with a smirk, "We're doomed. See, now you know why we have no assistant headwomen here. Might need to import some from the northern continent. Folks around here have all heard." Still smiling, "Couldn't hurt to have Hisolda keep mum on all those disasters and missed days off if she helps interview and train."

"Riight," D'son says with a little laugh. "Well we'll see what we can do," he says decisively. "And let's hope she comes back first," the Weyrleader continues, pushing up to his feet. "And um. Let me know if you have any trouble with Vivian. Though … I'm on her sh— bad person list now."

Thea nods, "Thanks, me too." It's a heartfelt comment on her hopes for his success. She merely nods to the other. "Sorry to hear that." She offers it like she really means it. Maybe she does. "Makes working together sorta awkward." He's standing and her eyes are back on that chart she was working on, her hand reaching for her pencil. "If you need anymore commentary on disasters and mayhem, just give a hollar."

"Yeah, it does," D'son mumbles with a faintly distressed look that vanishes swiftly enough. "You got it. Thanks, Thea." A little lift of his hand and D'son reclaims his clipboard and his letter and heads out.

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