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.
It was just after lunch time and Ysa had decided to bring her meal with her to the office. Of course, it was the first time that day since she showed up, partially because she looked a bit tired, partially because she was still as lazy as always, and mostly because it was the best way to avoid Niva in the hallway when the Weyrwoman was out and about in the morning or arriving. Being late was a good stragedy to avoid old women! The goldrider carefully pushes open to door with mug of ale in hand and a platter of rolls and some tubers. "Afternoon," she calls out to anyone that might be in the office.
Unfortunately for Ysa, Niva happens to be in the office. And, from the look that Ysa is given as the Senior is sitting at the Junior's desk, its not going to be a good thing. Turning in her chair, Niva glares at her Junior, steepling her fingers, tapping them together as she watches Ysa curiously. "Why didn't you tell the rest of us, Ysa, that we're now working on Ista time?" Her voice is steady and even, but she never looks away.
Thea is sitting with a mug of klah and a huge manual at one of the desks, pouring over the pages and writing on a sheet of paper while brown Shep, curled up in a ball on the corner of the desktop, snoozes away. As Ysa comes in, Thea gives the weyrwoman entering a brief nod and a smile, then returns her attention to the work in front of her. Niva's words are heard, of course, but it's none of her business, so she keeps her eyes on the paper after a quick flicker of a glance at the Senior.
It was very unfortunate, because if Ysa saw Niva sitting there than the younger goldrider would have turned tail and run. Her hide before anyone else's, afterall. But she was caught in the middle of the room, startling a bit and staring at the Weyrwoman at the desk she was just going to. Her brows raise a moment and instead of answering her she first takes a big gulp of her drink. "Ya probably haven't kept with the times lately, Niva, but there's never been any other time for me. Have I doubt I've bugged the others 'fore with it," she says in her best cool voice as she glances towards Thea and gives her a more welcoming head-bob and returning smirk.
Niva continues to lean back in Ysa's chair, turning slowly back and forth as her steepled fingers tap together, slowly, over and over again as she just looks at Ysa. "You probably haven't kept with the times lately either, or you'd realize that you're now expendable, Ysa. I don't need you, anymore." She says calmly, lifting her chin to watch the younger woman's reaction.
Zevida is walking into the office, looking quite fresh and pleasant. Not grumbly at all, she smiles towards Thea, Niva, and even Ysa as she moves to her desk. She settles down, places her mug and begins looking through papers before eyeing Niva as she has just noticed the Weyrwoman is in the wrong spot.
The business between Niva and Ysa may be none of her business, but the Senior's words cause Thea to look at her dumbfounded. She realizes her mouth is hanging open and snaps it shut with a bit of a gulp. Shep awakes and mrrrs questioningly, but stays put. A glance of confusion is flickered towards Ysa. Ysa obsolete? As Zevida walks in Thea nods to her and raises her brows slightly eyes sliding slightly towards Niva. A warning perhaps.
Ysa finally moves forward from the spot in the middle of the room, mostly encouraged by the other goldrider's arrival. Zevida doesn't get a nod this time as her eyes were fixed on Niva instead. She sets her plate down, takes another long drink from her ale, and sets that down as well. "Honestly, Niva, are ya threatening me now? I figured ya didn't care much about your residents or even your fellow goldriders when ya don't believe things they say like being abducted. Letting all those people in the caves die for it… They were expendable too, I guess?" She stands in front of her table, narrowing her eyes down on the Senior.
"You never said you thought they would all be dead." Niva replies, gaze drifting to Zevida as she enters and then back to Ysa. "And, I don't need to threaten you. I'm the Senior." Slowly getting to her feet, Niva moves over to meet Ysa, putting her hands on her hips. "I don't trust you. And since you're so set on Istan time, you're welcome to go there. You're no longer *my* Junior." It seems, at least, that some of her ire has waned, having had to wait for her for so long.
Zevida blinks as she suddenly realizes she should've, for once, stayed in bed. But, she would've gotten kicked out of her weyr by the two busybodies in there. With a soft sigh, she sips her mug and watches the two. But, is almost /choking/ on her klah as she realizes: Ysa's just been kicked out.
Thea inhales in surprise as her eyes swing back towards Ysa. Goldrider kidnapped, who knew? Certainly not this girl! She winces at the words 'didn't care' directed towards Niva and braces for the reaction, holding her breath. Shep stands and slinks across the desk, up Thea's arm and crawls around to the back of her neck to hide under her hair. At least one in here can take cover. When there is no explosion, the Junior is releived, but it is short-lived. High above her head Ruin, sensing tension in his subject, pops in from between silently and sneakily finds a spot on the drapery rod, peering gleefully at the scene below. Thea, for her part is just stunned.
Ysa rolls her eyes at first. "Well, we might not have put it that way, but we told you he was a danger and to search for the caves." She frowns intensely at the Senior, passing a glance towards the other two goldriders for a brief moment. Great. But she manages to bark out her best sarcastic laugh at the older woman's face. "Of course you never trusted me, or we wouldn't be in so much of a mess. Not my fault that Xanadu trusts /you/ so much." She outright scowls, hands fisted at her side. "Well thank Faranth for that. As if I was gonna stick around that much longer with everyone following a crazy old woman like you." She at least keeps her voice down, but it's barely controlled.
"Well, I'm giving them reason to trust me more, getting rid of *your* sorry self before you do something particularly stupid." Niva says, a slow breath keeping her to keep herself in check, some time off the sands having given her back a bit of her composure. "You're making a scene, Ysa.." Niva states, before turning to look at the other two with a tilt of her head, as if daring them to decide they have something to add.
Zevida glances between Ysa and Niva before she gives a shrug. She hasn't gotten between anyone's fights before (it's not violent, then she might have to do something). Instead, she glances away and goes about her work in silence rather than adding more to the scene. She does, shoot a look towards Thea, giving her a firm look.
Up there on his perch, Ruin silently wriggles with pleasure soaking up all the ire in the room like a frozen land welcoming the sunshine in springtime. Thea is riveted to the scene herself, but for different reasons. Niva seems to want input, but this is totally out of her area of expertise. Zevida's firm look is noticed, but not understood. She is troubled, her face shows it and with a quick breath, she asks quietly, "Niva, are you letting your Weyrsecond go as well?" A glance at Ysa, then back to the Senior, "Because he's likely going to quit if you do this."
Ysa stares at Niva incredulously now. She can't seem to manage to say anything at first until she finally gives her head a quick shake. "Did I /miss/ something? You think 'm plotting 'gainst ya or something? /Me/?" The laziest goldrider in existence. Besides complaining and whining, that is. "Is there something stupid 'm supposed to be planning and none of ya gals told me 'bout it?" She glances towards the two quiet goldriders, more like passing them quick glares at their silence before she turns it back on the Senior. "'m not the one that's been sitting here waiting to accuse someone of something stupid, Niva. You're the one that made the scene. And don't bother, Thea. Ram knows better than to stick 'round here with Niva loosing her mind like this, even if she has a revelation on her stupidity in the next moment."
"We managed fine enough with him when the two of them took off. I think we can manage now." Niva says simply to Thea, an actual little smile on her face as she looks at the two younger Weyrwomen. "Anything else?" Ysa's all but ignored, a quick glance at her, an eyebrow raised, and then what seems to sound like a giggle of all things. "Its always the ones you never suspect." And then she glances at Ysa's desk, shaking her head. "Your day is half gone, Ysa, better get home and start packing." And her tone is almost sickeningly sweet before she's excusing herself, and ducking out of the office.
Zevida watches Niva go, frowning before she looks towards Ysa. She says nothing, nor does she wear any expression. She's gone blank before she's going about her paperwork as if nothing happened. The sooner she's done, the sooner she can get out and forget about the whole evening. Yup.
Thea actually does open her mouth to answer Niva, but the Senior walks out before she can get the words out. She grits her teeth and leans forward and rubs her temples with a quiet, "Shards this is gonna upset the whole Weyr…" Sure they managed fine - because they worked their butts off. Thea rises suddenly, slamming the palm of her hand against the desk with a resounding smack and walks out, muttering, "…playing into…hands of Kefai…renegades…" On the drapes Ruin chitters with wicked delight and slips out :between: as silently as he came in. His work here is done.
"You've got to be sharding kidding me," growls out Ysa even as Niva starts to head out, glaring at the Weyrwoman's back. "The day you go insane, I'll be back to laugh in your face you old hag!" Now she was starting to make a bit of a scene, shouting at the older woman's back. She turns to look sharply at the other two around her. "Thanks for speaking up for me there, ladies. Made that idiotic accusation nice and true for her. Planning something stupid, indeed," she huffs and grumbles and grabs her mug to chug the rest of her ale down. Then she moves behind her desk, ready to grab anything that belonged to her.