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.//
The summer morning is starting off warm already, but it's not a sweltering sort of heat. The sun is still low in the sky, and the day is a pale kind of bright that's bound to get brighter (and hotter) as it rises more. It's breakfast time, and the kitchens smell of eggs and sausage and bacon and biscuits. The aroma of smoke and burned substances that prevailed the other day has been nearly fanned out by now, although if one inhales deeply enough there's still a slight scent of burn underneath the food smells. Ka'el sits in his office, crunching a slice of bacon with his nose stuck in a book. Pleasure reading? Not quite. From the looks of it, it's some heavy thing that spells out the intricacies of Weyr management, or something like that. In any case, it's not thrilling, yet is necessary. On the floor by his desk his firelizard lounges, crunching bacon as well. Mmmm, bacon!
Breakfast will have to wait for one who comes striding through the caverns. On a cooler morning like this, Kiena would have preferred to have been at the forges before the sun rose too high and brought with it the sweltering heat that made her line of work a little more tricky. Though as she catches some of those appealing scents, the bluerider's steps slow and temptation is given into. A brief sidetrack to the serving tables will yield her some food, which she promptly eats while standing. A few slices of bacon, a bit of bread and on her way out again she'll snatch a red fruit and munch on that on the go. It does not take her long to find the Weyrleader's Office and as she approaches the door her steps slow again and hesitantly does she hover outside of it. She got the message and has arrived as asked at her earliest convenience and she assumes she knows what this may be about. Could be she's wrong too but she'll have to knock first to find out. Taking a slow breath, Kiena knocks her free hand against the door in a polite way, before letting herself in (provided the door isn't locked).
At the knock at the door, Alloy, the firelizard, looks up from his bacon crunching. Halt! Who goes there! His tail whips as his mouth snaps open and closed a few more times to finish up his bacon. he makes a noise in his throat. "Not necessary…" murmurs Ka'el who gives a brief look to the side at his minibronze companion before he sets his book down and stands up. "Come in!" he calls, and when Kiena does and he sees that it's her, he grins and ushers her in with a wave of his hand. "You've made it early," he says, sounding surprised. "I thought maybe I wouldn't see you until after your duties this evenin'. I know how it is in the summer," said sympathetically. Hot forges and hot temperatures with hot weather is no fun at all! He moves out from around his desk and gestures towards a small cluster of comfortable seats that have been set around a small round table. A less formal area in comparison to his hulking administrative desk. "Glad you can make it early, and I'll make it quick. I know you've your duties. Have a seat. Would you like a drink of water?"
Kiena means no harm! Honest! "Wasn't sure either if I'd make it in time," she admits as she steps forwards at Ka'el's ushering. She's certainly dressed like she's supposed to be at the forges. The only thing she is missing is the apron, gloves and her tool belt. Even her hair is tightly braided and twisted back in a knot at the nape of her neck, contained for now. Closing the door behind her, she'll be quick about claiming one of those small comfortable seats as her blue eyes roam and scan the office in a curious and only mildly wary manner. Never has she stepped foot in here, save perhaps for once when the terms of her transfer from Western Weyr were being discussed and finalized. Once she's done the cursory inspection, her gaze will focus on the Weyrleader himself and her smile though a little reserved, is lopsided and good humoured. "Forges will wait though and so will my work for a little while yet. And I'm fine, thank you." Kiena waves off the offer, only to skip right ahead into things. "I'll take a guess and assume this has to do with finding a suitable foster family?" Or is she way off the mark?
Alloy stands up and gives his body a languid stretch and shake. Weyr business time? Well he definitely needs to be a part of this meeting! He is, after all, a very important lizard. VIL! And so, he makes his way towards the meeting area too, claws lightly clicking on the uncarpeted floor til he gets to the table, which he promptly hops onto. Hello everyone. Alloy is here. The meeting may now begin! He sits importantly, wings folded and tail whippy. All Ka'el can do is roll his eyes before he too sits, not pouring a drink for himself either. "Hope you don't mind," he says with a little look to his firelizard friend. "He's.. taking this very seriously." Well, as seriously as a firelizard can take most things. He smirks, amused for a moment, though the expression melts into a smaller look at her assumption…which earns a nod. "Yes," he confirms. "I've spoken with the Weyrwoman, who … honestly didn't know much of the details." Her kids weren't fostered, besides. "But, I did get some information from the heads of Harper craft here. Xanadu has fosters, of course. I've only now learned just how they work; What a foster is responsible for, your .. uh, parental rights, an' how a foster is compensated and all that. I'm gonna assume you already know that. As for who our fosters are, how many they're currently fostering, how many they've fostered in the past, an' how credible they are? The Headwoman has that information." And look, he doesn't even scowl when mentioning her!
Kiena's eyes flick to the approaching Alloy, though she doesn't react much beyond curiosity and amusement for the little bronze's behaviour. She's three firelizards of her own, though for now they're all absent. "Don't mind at all. He's a quirky one, isn't he? Does he like attention?" By attention, she means scritches of course and already she has one hand raised and outstretched just enough to hint at her intentions. Clearly she is not taking this meeting as formally as one should. Serious, yes. Formally, no. But that's usually how this bluerider rolls. A smile quirks the corners of her mouth up as she looks back to Ka'el. Ah ha, so she was right! She's quick to frown though, thoughtful as she absorbs his reply. "I figured as much." she murmurs after a considerable pause of silence. "And I know enough… at least by Western's system. So I'll have to speak to the Headwoman, Darsce, then." Not so much a question, but simply a spoken agreement. It's good he doesn't scowl, or she'd likely be puzzled (or put in an awkward spot). "Mur'dah gave me some names too… though I will check them through the Headwoman." Kiena adds as she leans back a little in her chair to cross one leg over the other and adopt a more relaxed stance even if she's not entirely that. Again, she'll hold Ka'el under her gaze for a moment before she speaks again. "Thanks. For doing all this. Asking around and all." It means a lot to her, but she can't quite bring herself to say that out loud.
Alloy answers that question for himself! Reaching hands usually means he’s going to get something good. Food. Or rubbings. Or scritchings! And since the bronze sees that there’s no tasty treat in her hand, he can only logically assume that he’s going to get some lovin’! He chirrup-chirps happily and leans into her hand, accepting any and all that she gives him. Ka’el nods as she speaks Darsce’s name. She knows who the headwoman is, that’s good. He gives her a vaguely quizzical look at the mentioning of Mur’dah’s input, but can only assume he did some research too. He doesn’t ask to confirm. “Good,” he answers. “She will be able to set you up with meetings with the fosters that are available, and once you find one that’d best fit what you need, she’ll get the paperwork part set up for you and the ball can get rolling to have your girls transported here.” Here, his expression turns soft. Warmer, not that it wasn’t already so. “If you need help with that part, don’t feel like you don’t have the right to send word to me. I won’t feel this task to be finished until they’re here. And you’re welcome.” And now he grins and adds jokingly, “You can pay me in ale.”
Kiena won't shirk on the attention-lovings given to Alloy and once the bronze eagerly accepts the offer, she'll pay up. Rubbings and scritches galore! At least until her mind is too preoccupied to continue multitasking and slowly her fingers will stop as they withdraw so that she can rest her hands back in her lap. The quizzical look on Ka'el's part concerning Mur'dah is missed and since she is not pressed she does not add any further details. "It always sounds so simple!" she mutters with a crooked smirk, nodding her head to show that she understands that part too. "Paperwork and meetings… Always ends in that, doesn't it?" Chuckling dryly, her mood sobers a bit for Ka'el's warmer tone and her expression shifts too, realization dawning that she could very well have her daughters here (here!) with her. No more stretching herself thin by the timezone shifts or those rare times she's dared to time it. "I'll send word if I need help." Kiena promises, grateful again for his offer and promptly she snickers. "What's your preference for ale? Light, amber or are you daring enough to try a Fortian brew my brother's fond of. Tried the stuff myself, if not just for the witty little name. It uh… fits."
The bronze is very much like Kanekith in the way that he loves attention. Though unlike his mega-sized bronze cousin, he causes faaar less trouble to get it! And as Kiena's hand is eventually pulled away, he voices complaint in a series of husky chirps before remembering 'Oh yeah, he has food!' and hopping off the tablet o go back and finish the last of his bacon. Ah, short attention span for the win! "I think paperwork an' meetings are what makes the world work. Without them, administration wings would go insane," he snickers. The mention of ale has him laughing though, and he waves a hand. "I was joking!" he grins. "Though … what's the name've this Fortian brew?" he asks, curiosity evident in his tone. "If ever I find myself over there," which he probably will at some point! "I'll have to ask for it specifically. Prove my worth, if it's a challenge." He grins, though with a glance to the window soon rises. "I told you I wouldn't keep you long, and I aim to keep my word. If I learn of anything else worthwhile, I'll send word to you. And you've to promise me something," he says after a thought. "When they're here and settled, you'll be sure to tell me, eh? I want a visit. It's the perfect weather to train on the swings."
Kiena's mouth quirks into another amused half-grin when Ka'el snickers and she does not hesitate on sharing the name of the Fortian ale. "Black Damnation." she drawls and now she really is grinning. "Best name I've come across and the stuff, though strong and surprisingly sweet to start, does live up to its name if not handled carefully." She speaks as though from experience and knowing her it's probably true. "Oh, it is a challenge! Th'ero drinks it and usually offers it." Kiena's kidding, right? Hard to say, as her expression has sobered again to a more neutral stance. She's also snickering again. "And if you can drink him under the table, I'd be damn impressed!" Rising to her feet, she too glances towards the window and the same conclusion dawns. Time for work and duties. The forges are calling her! First though she lingers, head tilted slightly as she hears out Ka'el's request. One that only leaves her smiling warmly, though her eyes flicker with the surprise she holds back. "Of course. Promise!" She'll hold out her hand then even, to shake on it. Now it's official? Whether or not he completes the gesture, Kiena will dip her head in farewell. "Thanks again… for all of this and good luck with your day. I'll keep in touch." she'll murmur before letting herself out of the office.
Black Damnation. Ka'el grins… "Damn. Definitely a must-try," he agrees, only imagining just how a drink would earn such a name! If the Fortian Weyrleader offers, he definitely won't refuse. And oh, what a grand time they'll have on Fort if that's the case. He extends his hand to take her offered one, shaking on the promise made. He's glad for it, too. He likes those twins, and he did promise to teach them proper (uh, improper) swinging form. Smiling, he sees Kiena out and closes the door behind her. A look is spared to Alloy, who by now has finished his breakfast and lounges on the floor for a nap. He half smiles to himself before he returns to his chair behind his desk, pulling out a sheet of paper already marked with Xanadu's official crest. He begins to write.