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.
In an attempt to catch the fresh spring air, the windows of the office have been thrown open this morning, and despite the air is still quite cool, Niva is already settled at her desk, working. A mug of klah within easy reach, one elbow is braced on the table, holding her head up as she mutters something before she's hurriedly slamming her pen down and leaning back in her chair, looking rather exasperated given the early hour. The office door itself, however, is open, the occasional sounds of the cavern carrying down.
Since Seryth is complying with Kilauaeth's directive, the gold remaining firmly anchored to her wallow, Thea is dressed for the office, hair coiled up neatly, in a blouse and skirt rather than flying gear for hold visitation. She's here, paused outside the office of the Senior Weyrwoman to take a deep breath before knocking. The sound of pen slamming to desk doesn't exactly help, but she steels herself to apply knuckles to wood and rap lightly anyway. Gravely, "Can I interrupt you for a few minutes?"
Niva stays, eyes closed, leaning back, one hand coming to rub at her forehead for a moment before she's finally lifting the other hand waving Thea in. Its even longer, however, before she's speaking, still not looking at the Junior Weyrwoman. "No, you cannot have leave to go anywhere." She says, as if expecting that's the reason for her visit, though the hand is slowly dropping back to her lap as her eyes open and she turns to look towards the door.
At least there's no snarling or snapping, that's a plus in favor of entering, although Thea hasn't been invited to do so, thus it's from the door that she assures, "I won't." Then because Niva already knows that Seryth is as good as glued to the ground, she adds quietly, "That's… not why I'm here."
Niva waves her hand impatient at Thea again, as when she opens her eyes the young woman is still standing in the door. "What happened, then? Someone missing? Someone screaming about Faranth only knows what?" And yet, despite asking the questions, the hall is quiet, betraying that they're certainly not true. "Or is Lord Black Rock working on you, now, to get him help?"
Thea shakes her head after each question but the last one. That one draws a blank look, her puzzlement evident, "Lord Toban hasn't asked me to do anything. Why would he?" Voices in the hall behind her have her stepping just inside the office, perhaps to allow them to pass by and when they're beyond, she draws another breath, leans back against the doorjam and says with some difficulty, "I came to apologize for what happened last night. It wasn't supposed to go that way."
"Good. If he does, get one of the bronzeriders to see him to the door. That man is not welcome in my Weyr." Niva snaps hurriedly, eyes going to a list that's settled on her desk, before glancing back at Thea. As she speaks again, Niva moves to cut her off, before she blinks. "How else would it go, with you talking about.." And Niva's voice drops to avoid being over head. "Talking about /timing/ it." The Senior Weyrwoman is on her feet then, waving a hand. "You think its worth it?"
"Yes Ma'am. I will." Thea's response to that is unquestioning, even though she's still totally in the dark about why. Her eyes drop when Niva stands, "No it's not worth it and I would never do it again after last-" Horrified, her eyes lift with the hope the Weyrwoman missed that slip and hurries on, "I wasn't going to actually -do- it."
Luckily for Thea, Niva's rather distracted, gaze having traveled back to her desk while the Junior talks, fingers tapping against her leg as she seems to be counting something that's completely unrelated. As Thea makes her final claim, however, she's looking back at her. "You weren't?" Niva says with a roll of her eyes. "D'had seemed convinced enough that you were. What am I to believe, when I hear of your plan, and now you come to tell me it was just.." And she pauses trying to find the word. "A farce?"
"Yes. No. Well, maybe?" Thea reaches behind herself to pull the door closed, then cross the space to sink into one of the chairs before her knees give. Both hands lift to rub her temples, her own exhaustion evident as struggles to keep her voice even. "I wanted him to think I would, but I didn't mean him to -keep- thinking it. Or bother you with it. He just wouldn't listen to me after I mentioned it. He- he sorta freaked out."
Niva remains on her feet as Thea sinks into the other chair, folding her arms infront of her as she turns to look at Thea. "And if he'd said the same to you, that he was going to go time it back, wouldn't you have done the same thing?" Niva counters quickly, narrowing her gaze at Thea, the tone she's taking much more 'mother' than 'Weyrwoman'. "You can barely stand, and you tell him you're going to go to some -when- as if its nothing. I would worry too."
Thea's hands drop to her lap, her fingers twisting together as she glances up at Niva and answers reluctantly, "I would be worried, too. But I do think I would have heard him out. He… didn't hear a thing I said afterward." It's that mother-tone that has her dropping her head and fighting tears back. Her voice is steady enough when she continues, "I just wanted to prod him to get S&R to help. He's been doing it all by himself. He's dead on his feet and too stubborn to admit it." Her voice falters, "He doesn't sleep much and I'm afraid with him going Between like that."
Arms stay folded across the Weyrwoman's chest as she looks down at the younger woman, arching an eyebrow as she explains. "Good thing he'll be spending plenty of time here, then. And with Siebith grounded right along with Seryth, he has no excuse for not sleeping." It seems like quite the simple solution to Niva, the Weyrwoman's tone leaving no room for arguement. "I'll send K'ael and his wing out this afternoon, after lunch."
"I know it was a stupid, desperate idea, but I couldn't come tattle-" Say what? Thea blinks up in consternation at Niva, thinks to close her mouth with an audible swallow easily heard in the silence following. Yes, she knows better than to argue with her, even without the tone. Her assessment of the matter? "I am -so- dead."
"Its a good thing that you two will also have plenty of time to talk about the expectations of your relationship. Starting now." Niva says dismissively, walking over to the door to open it up, motioning through it with a flourish. "If you're looking for something to do, there are plenty of records to be copied over. Just let me know when you run out of things to do. I'll find something." The Weyrwoman leans lightly against the door then, arching an eyebrow, and daring for there to be any sort of counter.
If only Thea should be so lucky that the Weyrwoman's order could open that man's mouth and get him to talk. Taking her cue from that gesture, her fingers loosen, leaving whitish marks where they'd been clasped, she rises and walks to the door. There'll be no arguments coming from her. "I will," she notes humbly. As she passes into the hall, she makes eye contact and there's the barest hint of gratitude in them.
"Have a good day, weyrwoman." Niva says as Thea passes her, nodding just a bit before she's watching her, and turning to close the door, returning to her desk and her pondering, the list gone over for the twentieth time, trying to make heads or tails of it.