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 gotten to be a routine, in the last couple of turns now. D'son shows up at the office first thing in the morning, checks his calendar, picks up any notes that he needs to for morning appointments. He has his first klah of the day here, makes sure he has everything he needs on his laptop before heading out to do the rounds at whatever holds need visiting for the day, whatever wingleaders or riders he needs to meet with at the Weyr itself. Today is no exception, only he looks /exceptionally/ bright-eyed and chipper, can't keep the grin off his face while he tools around the office, getting that klah put together, shuffling through notes and flipping open files on the desktop.
Niva, however, has never particularly been one of those morning people. Over the past turns, she's managed to figure out D'son's schedule and deliberately avoid the office until the chipper youngster is off on his daily business. This morning, however, it seems her timing was off, for she's arriving in the office while D'son is still lingering, and its with a sigh that she settles once in her seat, clinging to that mug of klah in her hands. "Why are you so happy, D'son?" She asks rather grumbly.
A few keystrokes are the precursor to D'son looking up and smiling across at the Weyrwoman. "Morning Niva. A couple of things, one /hell/ of a good night and now this idea I had for a database looks like it's working and I'm really happy about that. I can bring up all the information and notes that I've entered about Kefai and his band and cross-query it to make connections. And it can be used for other things too, not just that, it's just you know, I had all this disconnected information and put it in and figured out a way to make searching through it better. So. You know. I'm excited. It could help point out a place to look for him next." Beam. Yes, that is one /chipper/ little bronzerider this morning.
Niva opens her mouth and then closes it, shaking her head. "I don't want to know." Certainly, the rumors of the Weyrleader and a certain greenrider have not managed to escape Niva's ears, and then woman just has chosen to ignore it. However, as he explains the database, she slowly turns in her chair, sipping at her klah as she listens. A few slow, bleery blinks, another sip of her klah, and she nods, despite the rather blank expression that lingers on her features. "Good job?" She risks, looking at the computer screen with a nod. "I'm sure you'll figure out what you want to, from it." As everything goes straight over her sleep-addled mind.
D'son actually smirks a little. "Not with Vivian," he notes as he catches that look on her face and the denial. "But I'll spare you the details of hanging out with my best buddy. It usually involves a lot of asset comparisons about all of the lovely young ladies we know," Dels confesses with rather a sly look, like he just knows that's going to make Niva either choke, roll her eyes, or re-consider ever letting Inimeth into Kilaueth's flights again. Zoom, flocks of firelizards over the Weyrwoman's head. "Yeah, it should give me a starting point at least. I'm determined to catch the bastard," Dels says with a certain stubborn set to his jaw.
Niva lifts her gaze from the computer screen, eyes narrowing as her fingers tighten on her mug. "It'd better *not* be Vivian." Needless to say, however, there's little Niva can do about the choices made by her eldest child, despite her best attempts otherwise. She continues to glare at D'son rather annoyed, before his words on Kefai has her nodding. "Just don't be stupid about it." She comments, glare slowly disappearing.
D'son just /grins/ all the more in the face of that glare. "She's coming along nicely, Vivi," he notes as he taps on the keys a little more, enters some more data, then hits save and powers the monitor down, sits back in his chair with his own mug. "I think she might actually be learning a thing or two about /really/ getting along with people." Naive, thy name is Dels. He takes a long sip from the mug and tilts his head to the side. "I'm not planning on doing /anything/ stupid," he notes, eyes grave on Niva's face now. "How's Kilaueth doing? Inimeth's all … hovering."
"She does have it in her blood. She's bound to do well." Niva says, a bit conceitedly for that matter, sniffing as D'son turns back to his work. "She gets along with who matters." Niva says, before she's turning back to her own desk, sort of peering at the various notes and reports that have been left on her desk. His grave words have her turning back, and she shakes her head. "You don't have to -do- something stupid when he's involved, for it to be stupid." She grimaces, before nodding at D'son. "She's no… worse than normal."
D'son shoots Niva a look across the way. "Given she's in my wing now, it's more important that she learns how to get along with /everyone/ not just who she thinks is important," he says firmly and has another drink. Both of his shoulders lift about Kefai. "I'll be careful if it gets down to it," he promises then makes a sympathetic little face and nods. "Well just let me know if he's bothering her. You know how he gets. The guy is smitten."
"I'll leave it to you to make sure she does, then, wingleader." Niva says with amusement as she glances back at D'son, slowly waking up after her generous application of hot klah. "Please do. I'd rather not have to train another new Weyrleader.. I don't undertand how some of the others do it.." She shakes her head, before glancing back at Dels, smiling just a little and nodding. "She likes the attention, its quite alright."
That smile gets an answer, D'son's mouth curling up at the corners and he nods just once. "Yes ma'am. And … how the others do what? Swap out Weyrleaders all the time?" Both of his brows lift, underscoring the question. The last gets a chuckle. "All right then. Because you know, he loves to give it, so that works out well."
"Every time some of those golds rise, its a different bronze coming away with it. Nothing would get done if every turn it was someone new. Of course, if the same bronze *does* stay on, it seems like its a different gold. Not that I can fault them all.." Certainly not those former Seniors she's welcomed to Xanadu with open arms. A soft sigh, and she shakes her head, sipping at her klah. "As long as he takes no issue with Alhenaeth off the Sands, there'll be no issue, I think."
"Mm. Consistency's good as long as the guy's doing a good job, right?" D'son says with another roll of his shoulders and sets his mug down, leans back in his chair with his hands folding behind his head as he looks across the way. "No, there'll never be a problem there. He's not the jealous type either. They're … a pretty good match," Dels says carefully. "Inimeth and Kilaueth. She doesn't mind when he chases greens in between clutches, he doesn't mind that she snuggles up with Alheneath. Works out pretty well." He's quiet for a moment, then clears his throat. "I like being here, Niva. It was a tough adjustment at first, but Xanadu's gotten to be home. I mean it's not where I'm from and Ista and my family will always be important to me that way. But if you're concerned at all … here's where I am and here's where I want to stay. It's also not the easiest job in the world, but I /like/ my job."
"As long as they're doing a good job, yes." She agrees with a smile, nodding, the last of her klah finished and the mug settled on a corner of her desk free of the stacks of papers. She slowly turns back to look at the young Weyrleader, sighing softly, before smiling and nodding. "I'm.. glad. I've gotten used to you, I'd rather not have you running off deciding you're homesick." She comments with a wink. "Good, a happy Weyrleader does a better job. R'sul did well.. I.. Liked R'sul too. But I'm not sure he ever wanted to be here, until he was gone." She grimaces a little at her words.
"Heh, guess that 'used to me' is good," D'son says with a quiet chuckle. "And no, I'm not going to be running off anywhere. Effectively, my life at Ista is over," Dels answers with a touch of regret. "My family comes to visit me here instead for the most part. It's strange so much starting over, but I've put down roots here. And overall, I /am/ happy." His face creases with sympathy about R'sul. "I'm sorry it turned out that way for him … he seems like a decent guy."
"Used to you is all you get, particularly with the time you're spendinging with my *daughter*." Niva says firmly, though a grin turns up the corners of her mouth. "Everyone starts over at some point, D'son, Whether its at fifteen when posted as a new apprentice, or at twenty, or at fourty, when your life changes." She sighs softly, nodding about R'sul again, glancing back at her desk. "Don't just.. pretend you're happy, though, if it ever changes. Its.. not good for the Weyr."
"She's in my /wing/, Niva," D'son reminds with a soft snort. "That and she seems happy to spend the time with me. And if it makes her happier, I'm not going to turn my nose up at that. It's better for the Weyr to not have her flouncing around making life miserable for everyone else," he says bluntly. "When she's being reasonable, she's fun to hang out with." That last hikes his brows upwar. "I'm not — in the habit of pretending about that kind of thing, except for you know, putting on a smile for diplomatic visits. Don't worry, if it gets to the point I'm having a bad time of it. I'll let you know." His hands drop down from behind his head and Dels reaches for his mug to finish off his klah.
"She's more than welcome to spend time with you, if it makes her happy. Same you with her. But.." And Niva waggles a finger at the Weyrleader, much like a parent admonishing an errant child. "But you are her peer, not mine. And certainly nothing outside of flights." And the bluntness of her own words actually has Niva blushing, hurriedly turning back to her desk, making a show of flipping through the paperwork at hand, just nodding at D'son's reassurance.
The finger-waggling and the blush see D'son blinking across the way at Niva. "I … have never assumed that, Niva," the Weyrleader says slowly, brow wrinkling faintly. "We're colleagues. It's just you know, part of being riders. We wind up in the sack once a turn. I'm never going to bother you about that. I admire and respect you, but you don't have to worry. I — hm. I'd have thought you'd know that by now," Dels says quietly and sits up in his chair, reaches to tuck his folders into his laptop case.
"You may not, but other riders seem unable to distinguish between professional interaction and actual interest." She comments, with a shake of her head. "I.. felt it neccessary to repeat." The blush is quickly under control, and the Weyrwoman glances over as he stands, nodding to the laptop case, using that to change the subject. "You'll let me know if you have any success, with this new.. thing of yours?"
"They do?" D'son seems surprised by that. "Someone missed the boat on training them then," he says with a shrug. "Any weyrlingmaster worth their salt should get that through a weyrling's head. Flights don't add up to relationships." Of course it might help that Dels is weyrbred with parents who aren't weyrmated. Rising as well, he flips the case strap over his shoulder and comes around the desk, reaches for Niva's hand for a light squeeze. "I will. Have a good day, Niva." His eyes scan her face for a moment or two, like he's trying to sort out that blush, then he just smiles and aims to head out.
"That would require them to win a flight in the first place. Which I'd rather avoid, so Inimeth had better remain on his toes." She comments, gently squeezing his hand back, nodding and reaching to absently pat his shoulder. "Be careful, D'son." She adds in a tone that betrays the fact that she might actually care for the kid, before turning to gather up her own papers and things, retreating from the office for a few hours work.
"I'll … do my best, Niva," D'son answers earnestly, though there's a faint touch of surprise in his expression at that gentle pat, the awkward possible-expression of caring before he nods once and slips out the door to go take care of the day's business.