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.
Its midmorning, the day after the ovine escape, and while news has already filtered back to the Herders that one beast fell prey none other than the new, improved, non-vacationing Weyrsecond's bronze, the others are still on the loose. Despite the fact that the day has already gotten a head start, Niva's only now arriving at her office. The good thing is that she's in a good mood, after having slept in - the not so good will be what is awaiting beyond the door currently ajar. For, one of those ovines has gotten into the office, and it seems to be enjoying its new home.
It's been one of those weeks for R'sul really. Still trying to get used to being weyrmated, still trying to get used to having a new weyrsecond suddenly (and he almost liked the old one), and now escapee sheep. He's sauntering towards the office at the moment, not in any sort of hurry, just needing to check on some paperwork for later.
Well, at least this Weyrsecond is quiet, and doesn't seem to be causing too many issues. Except of course for all the issues he has caused. Either way, he's been doing something right, and avoiding Niva, so the Weyrwoman has all but forgotten about that drunken exchange. While she's a little ahead of R'sul, she's the first to get to the door, pushing it open. But, that's where she stops, for as she looks into the office, the young ovine looks back from the middle of the table - papers everywhere, things chewed on, and in general just a mess. "R'sul!" She yelps, standing frozen in the doorway.
R'sul yelps in turn, trying to figure out what he's done now that might have incurred her wrath. For a second there's hesitation, an impulse to flee and pretend he was never there. "Yes, Niva?" He calls it from the safety of the other end of the hallway, just in case she ammunition nearby that might suddenly make a trip towards his head.
Niva, unlike some Istan goldriders, doesn't tend to throwing things. Just yelling and screaming. "Come… Come here." The normally outspoken Weyrwoman is just left to stare, even as she's slowly lifting a hand to point at the ovine, the other hand waving R'sul hurriedly closer. And then, it may be heard even down the hall. 'Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa'.
Despite every instinct yelling at him to go back, R'sul heads down the hall, but as soon as that noise erupts from the office he freezes. "Tell me that's Ram back and playing tricks." Slowly he inches towards the door, fearing what might be behind it if it's not the missing weyrsecond. At the sight of the ovine his mouth drops open, a strangled noise that could be a long drawn out 'no' coming from him.
Niva is still standing in the doorway as R'sul joins her, shaking her head solemnly and staring at the animal. "I wish.." She says softly. And then, just for good measure it seems, the ovine is shifting to stand on the table instead, some paper that was probably important stuck out of the corner of its mouth, even as its tail is lifting enough to leave them a nice little pile of presents on the table. "R'sul…" She says again, slowly, taking a deep breath to try and stay calm.
If this were a movie R'sul would be all manly and taking charge, the sheep would be under one arm and out of the office in a flash. Sadly this is not a movie and the best he can do is flap slightly, "Get it out! Get some grass or something, see if you can tempt it down."
"Wait, why am *I* getting it out? Shouldn't you do it? I mean, don't you know anything about it from all those books you read?" Niva sounds a bit irritated as she turns to glare at R'sul, even while the ovine is going in circles on the table, kicking stuff around, and making even more of a mess.
R'sul blinks, "I don't read about animals! I read about history and… and… things. Besides it's a well known fact that animals prefer women!" Well known in his world and he's sticking to that idea. As the ovine moves more he winces, "Nooo. Not there." There's a step taken towards the beast, but he pauses and looks back. "I'm not going in there on my own."
The ovine kicks a bit more, before its hopping down and settling itself quite contently in R'sul's chair, legs pulled up beneath its rather small body like a cute little canine. Except, its not a canine, and it left them a huge mess to deal with - and that's not counting the liquid one under the window that's currently hidden from view, although some of those half-chewed papers are helping to soak *that* up. "I'm sure it'd like you. You're practically a woman." Niva grumbles under her breathe, even as she's reaching to grab at his arm and tug him in.
R'sul glowers at Niva, making sure to tug his arm out of the way before she can sink her claws in to his small ego any further. Once in the room he heads around the wall, deliberately trying to go the opposite direction from Niva. "You go that way, see if you can get behind it before it… never mind, it already got there." He reaches for the first long object that comes to have so that he can try to prod the ovine out of the way, but sadly it's a draught excluder for the door and of little use. "Hit it with something."
Niva misses her grab at R'sul's arm, glaring back at him a little as he's suddenly headed the other direction. "Yeah, this is great. It'll go right between us." She mutters, even as he's attempting to find something to poke at it with, and telling her to throw something. "Like *what?*" A piece of half-chewed paper is grabbed and crumpled before being thrown at it, landing on the sheep's back and only resulting in another 'Baaaa'.
"If it goes between us it'll go out the door." R'sul reasons, assuming of course that the shepp will actually play by his rules and not its own. "Use something hard." He adds quieter, under his breath, "Like your head." then continues louder. "We need a couple of big sticks or something. Prod it."
"Too bad you're too big to throw." She snaps at him, even as she's creeping a little bit closer to the sheep, careful to avoid any of its little offerings that have been kicked off the table, looking around and grabbing the closest object from R'sul's desk, launching it at the sheep. Too bad its only a pen, and it just seems to be an annoyance from the animal, who's now warily eying the both of them.
R'sul does actually laugh in reply, though it's one of those forced 'ha ha very funny' laughs. He doesn't reply, though, which might yet save some of his skin. He just keeps on creeping round the outskirts of the room so he can get vaguely behind the creature. In a moment of comedy gold, well it would be had it been planned, he slips on one of the sheep's deposits sending him skidding towards it, arms windmilling, and making a very odd noise indeed.
It seems that having the Weyrleader headed after you, arms flailing, and making that sound is enough to make a sheep move, no matter how comfortable the seat you've stolen may be. However, its also enough to make you want somewhere safe to hide, which in this case causes the sheep to go flying out of the chair and under the closest thing possible - R'sul's desk. With a disgruntled BAaah! it glares at both of of the Weyrleaders, even as Niva is practically doubled over in laughter, backing up to lean against the wall for support.
"Well at least I did something." R'sul snaps over at Niva, though after a moment he too is starting to chuckle. A bit of half chewed paper is wadded up and tossed in the direction of the Weyrwoman, "Well come and help at least, otherwise I'll turn that thing into a footstool and it can stay under there and eat anything I get sent that I don't want to read."
"If you want to call it that. Least you got your chair back." And then he's throwing the paper at her, and she's swatting it away, throwing it back at him, though it falls short, and is quickly munched on further by the sheep. Unfortunately, the sheepie also ducks back under the desk after a moment. "What are you going to do?" She asks, though she's slowly regaining her composure, straightening, and eyeing both the animal and the Weyrleader with a bit of caution.
R'sul looks at the sheep, looks at Niva, looks back at the sheep again. "I think I'll call it Flossie." he's pretty much resigned to it staying now.
Its an absolutely hopeless look on Niva's face, as R'sul apparently decides to name the animal - even if it *is* rather cute and little - that has taken up residence under his desk. The Weyrwoman's mouth opens and closes not once, not twice, but three times before she just gives an exasperated sigh, throwing her hands up in the air. "Fine, its *your* pet. You clean up after it." And then, its a smirk that has taken up residence, as she folds her arms over her chest, waiting to see if that makes him change his mind.
R'sul just shrugs, moving over at a slightly more dignified rate this time and inspecting his chair. It's a little greasy, but there doesn't seem to be any actual presents on it so she pulls it out to sit down. of course this brings him rather a lot closer to the present on his desk and he can't help but pull a face then. "Want a nice report Floss?" He reaches for some paperwork on his desk, aiming to offer it to the sheep as a peace offering.
"R'sul!" Niva gasps at him, just staring at he dares offer the animal one of the reports, shaking her head. "I.." And then she's seeming to give up, for she's turning on her heel and headed back out the door. "I expect your animal's… mess to be cleaned up by the time I get back." She calls out, already partway down the hallway.
R'sul finally relaxes once Niva's gone. His initial instinct is to drop his head onto his desk, but right now that's not such a good plan. Instead he waits till she's a safe distance away and then tries to lure the sheep out from under the desk with the report. After a moment he has the bright idea of getting Hesketh to send in a couple of firelizards, the little winged stomachs blinking into being somewhere above him.
The little sheep is not so willing to play, but it seems that she's quite comfortable where she is, for she's settling down once more, leaning against the frame of the desk to look up at R'sul with big eyes, and a soft 'baaaa'.
R'sul blinks. "Um… baa to you too." He waggles the report before the sheep, then steps back. "Come on. Come and get the lovely report. Yummy paper. Come on." For a second he checks the door, just in case anyone's listening to him being this… well… girly. The plan is to get the firelizards into play as soon as it's out from the desk, but since when has his luck ever been that good.
Flossie, as she has been dubbed, just looks again, watching the waggling paper, before she's baaaaing again and settling down. Its time for a lambie-nap - she's had a busy morning, destroying their office!
R'sul just gives up, flopping down into his chair once more and staring at the sheep. "You're going to get me fired." He stops, considers, maybe he will let her stay for a little while. After a moment he sets to cleaning up, using Niva's bucket for dumping the smellier presents into.
Ah, but that would be too easy of a way out. Flossie'll just ensure that R'sul has to put up with Niva, and have to endure the payback for the office's new resident.