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.
Ysa is late. Again. Super late… And looking a bit disheveled as she pushes the door to the office open, yawning widely and running a hand through the tangle of her hair. She's got that hungover look about her eyes and passes a stern glare over her shoulder to some other assistant staffer running an errand in the hallway. "Watch yourself or you'll be breaking your neck or someone else's!" Grumble. Her first stop wasn't to her table or to announce her presence. Nope, it was to fill a big mug of klah from the table up front, hopefully steaming, so that she could wake up a bit more.
Zevida is sitting at her desk, legs crossed and looking over papers. Some of them not of her own, if she didn't do them.. Who would? Other than Thea. With a glance upwards, she spots Ysa heading to get some klah and with a cough, she speaks. "Ysa, don't snap at them, they're running for a reason." She offers, smiling slightly. "We are kind of behind, you know. /Very/ behind…" There's no hate behind these words, just minor irritation. Minor.
Thea sits tilted slightly to one side in one of the chairs, a bit of towel-wrapped something can be seen sticking out from under her fanny. She's looking slightly wan, but otherwise normal. Ysa's arrival causes her to look up. "You look like I feel," the Junior comments with a faint smile. And a yawn.
"And have a dead body at the bottom of the stairs? I think not," Ysa says with a scowl out the door at the thumping feet. She doesn't speak for a moment, too busy gulping down a good mouthful or two of warm klah. "Are we?" she asks in a passable ignorant voice as she lifts both brows up to Zevida. "What's the point, with the Weyr pretty much stranded here?" She finally makes her way over to her desk, groaning at the sight of the papers there that required her attention. "Oh, I probably feel that way, too. How're ya doing, Thea?" She drops down heavily to her chair, massaging the bridge of her nose.
Zevida lets out a soft chuckle, "I'm sure no one will /die/ from that. As long as both parties are paying attention." She offers, idly digging through more of the work. "I'm sure you haven't noticed, Ysa. But we are." A pause and her brow quirks as she eyes the other junior. "It'd be nice to catch up before the ban is over. Then we wouldn't have so much work left to do." A glance over towards the youngest junior and she smiles. "You can go rest if you're just about done, Thea."
Thea shifts in her seat, answering Ysa, "My butt is sore. And I have a strong craving for roast lamb." She scowls in irritation at the word 'lamb', shaking her head at Zevida, "No thanks, they want me and the ice pack back later and I'd rather not hear all the bleating in there." She glances at the stack in her lap, muttering, "Paperwork's a drag. We oughta hire some scribes or something." Note she doesn't offer to pay them herself.
Ysa shakes her head slowly at Zevida, more to keep her headache in check. "Ya never know. They very well can die. Or be crippled. I'll be the first out there with a big 'I told ya so'." Another big gulp of klah as she settles into her seat, leaning back and just enjoying the warmth of the drink for now. "And then there'll be even more work for us after the ban, Zev. Slow down a bit, it'll get done when it gets done." She fingers the corners of the papers in her first stack. "Too many sore bums lately. I'd take the excuse and get out while I could, Thea. But you're a tough gal, right? Maybe if ya get through it all today I'll sneak Lambie 'round to your weyr to cook, if I can sneak it away without the boys noticing." Said Lambie was tied up outside her home, supposedly. Look at her! She was going to start work! … Nope, she was just laying her forehead down against her desk with a groan.
Zevida nods to Thea, chuckling softly. "You could always return it tomorrow if you're ready for sleep." A glance towards Ysa and she snickers. "Would you like to place a no running sign up if you're so concerned for the safety of everyone around." Rising from her own seat, she moves to get a mug of klah for herself. "Well, I'd rather have it done and be free not to stress about the paper work. Then when the ban is lifted we just take them as they come. We'll be caught up all the time then." A pause before she turns a gaze towards Thea in questioning. "Do I even want to know how you ended up getting hurt?" A soft chuckle as she returns to her own desk to shoot small looks of irritation at Ysa while she's not looking. At least trying to mentally will the other to work.
"Too many sore bums? Who else…?" The word 'die' finally reaches Thea's brain and she looks up quickly, "Have there been any deaths reported?" She can't help but chuckle dryly at Ysa's reluctance to attack the stack she has. She eyes her report, answering Zevida absently, "A needlethorn rammed hard enough to penetrate thick wool and enough juice to drop a runner. I just feel lucky Y'ki didn't get me with his knife." Her finger traces down the list she has and her head shakes, "The infirmary needs quite a few new supplies after that fiasco."
"Ram's bum gets its own problems," Ysa notes with a smirk, which fades rather fast. "No, no reports. If there were any deaths, Ista's hiding it well, if that's what you mean. As far as the stairs… Well, none that /I/ know of, but there could have been in the past." And by the way she glares out the door, she expected one in the future. "Too much effort," she answers
Zevida with a slight shake of her head. "They'll learn better when the first one takes a tumble." She hides a big yawn behind one hand before gulping from her mug again, scooting her chair forward, staring down at the papers… and sighing. "Supplies have to be brought by ship, take too much time, more paperwork. Can't we just go on strike and all take another vacation until it dies down?" She glances to the other juniors.
Zevida blinks, shaking her head. "Not from the illness. And frankly, I'm glad we have the ban up. Don't need any ill dragons getting here." A soft grumble before she begins to pour a bit more effort into the work. Though, Thea's description of how her injury came to be earns a cough. "Glad I don't need to go to the infirmary for anything.. Shells." A glance at Ysa and she quirks a brow. "Still having trouble keeping him on a leash?" Chuckling, she shakes her head. "You make it sound like we're teaching children… But, no. Ysa. Work won't go away if we go on strike. It'll just get worse."
R'miel wanders into the office whistling away. He's got a desk in here… someplace, but the weyrsecond usually spent his time away at meetings or helping R'sul deal with things in his office. But he was in here from time to time, usually delivering things or talking to his weyrmate. Which is why he's here now! For both reasons, really. He's got a stack of papers under his arm. "Hello ladies. How we doing today? Niva sent these over. Bunch of shipment papers that need to be checked for accuracy and signed off on." Into the inbox they go! Then he heads over to lean against Ysa's desk. "How we feeling this morning?"
"Ram's bum?" Thea's jaw drops for a moment there, "I had to ask," she says drily. She ticks off some items, "Glass jars, numbweed— we went through a lot of that the other day, paper— the ovine has eaten a lot of that…" R'miel's entrance interrupts her litany. "Hello Weyrsecond…" she smirks, "Or is it third now? So confusing." She continues down her list, muttering, "New metal cart— to replace the one dented by you-know-what…"
"I'm with ya on that, Zev," Ysa agrees about the ban with a bob of her head. "If the Senior could actually /demand/ that the dragons stay put would be better, rather than just a formal call out to them not to head anywhere." Her lips start quirking up into a grin at Thea, waggling a brow. "And quite a bum to look at, too, even if it gets the worse of the problems sometimes. And he's been quite well Zev." Speak of the devil! She lifts her brows at Ram and stretches a hand out. "Hey, love. Jus' speaking 'bout ya. I've had better days…" The few days that she wasn't hungover, of course. "Signing, I can do. All this stuff can be reviewed later, anyway," she waves a hand towards her stack. Her attention is caught by Thea's muttering, though, staring at the young woman and the growing list.
Zevida looks like she's about to murder Ram as he speaks, glaring daggers at him. And if looks could kill… Ram wouldn't be looking too pretty right now. "It's still second. Though, I don't know why we have two. So odd…" A glance at Ysa and she nods. "Kila could very well do that, but, I imagine that Niva doesn't want to get rid of people's choices like that.." She murmurs, snickering softly at comment of Ram being well behaved.
R'miel pouts at Thea. "It's second. X'hil… I'm still not sure if he's doing anything for the office or not really. I never see him, so really it's hard to tell. Niva may have given him a knot, but she didn't take away /my/ knot." He chuckles a bit. "More sheep problems I hear. What's so exciting about me?" Ram is sure to pass Zevi a nice grin as he moves over to give Ysa a pet. "Just imagine the horror that would rain down on you if you were the one to bring back the dragon cold. I think Niva would ship you off to Ista for good." He looks down at Ysa. "You want me to bring you up some klah or something?"
Thea listens as she scans her list. At the mention of R'miel's backside being a sight, Thea just shudders, but doesn't comment. "I haven't gone anywhere because I do not want Seryth getting sick." She nods at Ysa, "That might help the disease to fade away faster." She agrees with Zevida's weyrsecond comment, "Odd and confusing." Although R'miel's explanation helps, sort of. "More? There oughtn't be -any-! They're stupid sheep, not felines," she growls irritably. The Infirmary item order list fascinates her for she adds, "And this is getting expensive. Oh look, they want more plaster for casts, too. The sack they just got exploded when the ram skidded into it feet first." And she's not even at the bottom of it yet.
Ysa has to raise her brows up at Zevida's look at the Weyrsecond, but she doesn't comment on anything. "I guess that wouldn't make the Weyr too happy if Kilaueth did do that." She turns a scowl onto her weyrmate now, giving her head a swift shake that makes her headache throb by the way she groans and pinches her nose. "I wouldn't dare step foot in Ista or any other Weyr right now, so it won't be me." She lifts her half-empty mug of klah up to her weyrmate, shaking it a bit. "I'm good, for now. Are we hungry gals?" Her green eyes rest on Thea again and she lets out a soft chuckle. "It must have been quite a battle in that infirmary. The dragons should have been allowed to just eat every ovine they find and that'd be the end of that." Now she actually reaches for the papers, those that just require some signing, so that she could get some things out of the way.
Zevida continues her glare at the Weyrsecond, grumbling. "Why don't you help with the work, we're already behind enough as it is." A glance towards Thea and she smiles. "I'm sure Seryth will be fine. How old is she now, anyway?" A smile and she looks down towards her papers with a hum. "We could get Ava to squish them.. I'm sure she'd find it amusing. That'd solve the problems. They're just food anyway.." Shrugging, "I doubt any of us will actually go and meander about some other Weyr and them consider returning back…"
R'miel has a cute bum! He'd have no problem showing Thea if she wants! She might be temporarily blind afterwards, but hey. "It gives me an excuse to skip meetings, but Arinith hasn't caught anything on the few times I've been out." He nods a bit to the youngest weyrwoman, then chuckles to his weyrmate. "I agree with you there. We found one in the weyr. The boys were a little upset when I told them it ran away, but they didn't complain when I cooked it up for dinner the next night." He laughs. It's sort of evil, but waste not! He frowns to Zevi. "Alright alright." He grabs a stack of papers and invites himself to Ysa's desk.
Thea nods an affirmative to Ysa's question, "Hungry, yes, what's to eat?" She grunts, "If only dragons could fit where these have gotten. Oughta call some Herders in to evict them." She eyes the piles of papers, then gives R'miel a glance, "Yet." Then as he takes a stack, "You do paperwork?" The wheels are turning, and she smiles, "Let's get X'hil in here to help." Make him earn that fancy knot. She looks up at Zevida's question, "Hmm? Seryth? Lets see, she's… almost two turns now." Her attention returns to the list for a second, then. "Oh!" The significance of that dawns.
Zevida grins in truimph as Ram begins to work on a stack of papers, her complaints cease and she goes about her work in silence for a moment. At least Ysa's weyrmate is doing something productive. "Oh, that's an idea. Get both Weyrseconds to help. Excellent." She then turns he gaze towards Thea as the question seems to dawn on her, "has she begun to glow at all yet?" A pause, "well, where are the other golds going to go since every other Weyr seems offlimits.." She muses. "Could find a random beach somewhere away from the other Weyrs.."
"Stop going out of the Weyr and we don't have to worry if Arinith comes back sick or not," Ysa says sharply towards her weyrmate, eyes narrowing as she glances up to him. "I'll have to ask him to sleep /away/ from Ella next time the two of ya come back from somewhere where this plague has been." This junior wasn't happy about the possibility of flu spreading. "X'hil /should/ be in here," she agrees with a heavy sigh as she signs off on a good stack of papers, setting them aside. Look over them? What's that? "More Herders. You should write that down, Thea. Too many things get out of those pens." She turns towards Thea, head tilting and curious about her answer.
"I could run down to pick up some pastries or something. Is it lunch time yet?" R'miel looks around, then raises a brow at Thea. "Yes I do paperwork. More than I'd like, really. Still not that great a reader, but I get by." He chuckles. "If I had the slightest clue where X'hil was, maybe." Then he grins at the young weyrwoman. It's about that time! "He ain't sick, and I barely leave the weyr anyways. Let X'hil go on the out of weyr meetings." He peers at some paperwork. Not his forte, that was for sure. He was a people person, not a paper person! "I bet Seryth is getting close." Off-handed comment from the bronzer. Hopefully Ysa won't smack him.
"Not yet," Thea mutters in reply to Zevida, shooting R'miel as glare of her own. What is is with Juniors and this weyrsecond? She resists the urge to sink down in her chair. She flushes slightly, then grabs whatever she can to deflect the subject, sweetly informing him, "There was a worker running the hall a few minutes ago, snag him when he jogs by?" She mulls something over for a minute, then blurts, "Can't Kilaueth keep males from chasing who, you know… might've been exposed?" This time Ysa gets a nervous flicker of a glance, before she sighs and writes the words SEND HERDERS on the list. A small, vindictive smile of delight dances across her lips as she writes those words.
Zevida coughs softly, "you just started. And, it's probably more like bed time. I'm ready for sleep." She grumbles, but seems quite adamant about finishing this paper first. Looking towards Ram, she huffs. "You just want to have Arinith catch another gold on her maiden flight." A glance towards Thea and she blinks, "I've never heard of a gold restraining any dragon from participating in flights.." She murmurs, frowning slightly.
Ysa bobs her head towards Ram. "Oh, it can be lunch time. Anything will do, really, at this point, so long as it fills the belly." She scans through another pile, separating the sheets that need to be signed from other more important and out-of-office documents. There's a grin for Thea before she winks. "No worries, Thea. You'll do fine… Who knows when she'll really rise, still might be awhile. 'm sure she'll rise, though, so that's what's important." And her weyrmate? He gets a quick glare. "It's happened more often than you can imagine," she answers Zevida with a heavy sigh, running a hand through her messy hair now. "Especially the more jealous Seniors that don't like their mates chasing. Golds can easily restrain the bronzes, it's just a question of whether they want to."
Thea places the finished list in the 'out' pile and reaches for the next paper. She responds to Zevida with a, "Too bad." Ysa's words cause her to perk with a bit of hope, "Really?" She slides a look at R'miel out of the corner of her eye. One sniffle out of Arinith and he can be sure Seryth will find out. "The flight doesn't worry me, actually," she offers as she scans the paper in her fingers. "It's… being proddy that I'm not looking forward to." She shrugs it off, "New rugs. New -rugs-?!" She looks up. "Requisitioning Weaver Craft for new rugs for -three- offices because of ovine poop. Can we just skin the pests and give them the hides?"
R'miel blinks at Thea. Why was she mad at him? Oh right. He was picking on her about her dragon going proddy. Well, it was about time! He just gives her a bit of a grin. "Ah, we can just take a break and head down to the caverns. And I think she can, Thea. If she knows. I would hope sick dragons would lose the drive though. Hard to fly if you're coughing." He then grins to Thea. "Do not. But I certainly won't keep him from chasing given the whole fact that there might not be a lot of selection." He smiles to his weyrmate, then gets up. "Well I'll meet you laides down in the caverns." Where hopefully he won't be killed.
Ysa nods slowly towards Thea and then chuckles. "Again, that's if the queens do so. But Seryth might be incapacitated in ordering when she's just 'bout to fly, and you'll be too focused on keeping her under control. I mean, it's happened, but then 'gain I doubt a sick dragon would be coming 'round like Ram says." At least this junior really hopes so. She stops at one of the sheets of paper, frowning at it. "I think we deserve a break," she announces, wincing at Thea. "That's why I like the way ya think, gal," she says with a chuckle. "Let's go have lunch and we can find someone to ask 'bout skinning the ovines instead. Save the Weyr marks! That's what our job is for." Or something along those lines.
Thea wrinkles her nose at R'miel, but can't help but laugh. She stands, gathering her own paperwork - and an extra armful in case she runs into X'hil, which she will dump on him. She grins back at Ysa as she heads for the door. The thought of saving money has never made her so happy. "Lunch sounds good to me." Maybe there's lamb on the grill. And with those extra marks, there could be (as a friend so often reminds her) booze!