A Foreboding Summons

Western Weyr - Weyrwoman's Office
Behind stout, ornately carved hardwood double doors decorated with fancy brass handles and a stout bolting lock, the Weyrwoman's office is a sanctum of paperwork, bureaucracy and lots of red tape. It is here that much of the running of the Weyr takes place — where the meetings of the domestic side of the Weyr are held and daily matters are handled between the Senior and her juniors as well as the Headwoman's staff. The walls, painted a cheerful soothing shade of sage green, are adorned with paintings and tapestries of life around the Weyr. To one side, a large desk of skybroom wood holds court, piled with paper, and file folders — the heavily padded chair behind it meant for the comfort of the working weyrwoman, along with chairs for visitors and guests set in front of it. Part of the desk is curving away, this holding a small computer that can be used for word processing and file entry. Along one wall, a row of short bookshelves hold scrolls, books and other means of record keeping; the oldest and most fragile of the relics being kept behind glass casings. Hand-woven carpets cover the floors, buffering the feel of hard stone and giving a softer feeling to the room. A sideboard on the wall opposite the entrance is kept stocked with drinks for refreshment, and a comfortable couch with a side table and an ornate reading lamp can be found in the middle of the room.

Zi'on has summoned Xander… to the weyrwoman's office? Yes. Enka was off… visiting family or something. Since she's the only gold about other than the useless one who isn't sands sitting there's a good chance she's just up and fled the weyr for a bit. Which means Zi'on has invaded her office while his is being redecorated. The weyrleader is lacking his right hand man as well, since it's his dragon's first time out on the sands as well. So that leaves Zi'on to juggle sands sitting with keeping the weyr running. But, since he's weyrleader he gets to pick and choose amongst the candidates for helpers! And since Xander had the unfortunate luck to have been searched by Suldith, he's currently in the front running. Right now those the bronzer is leaning back in Enka's chair eating a cream filled pastry. There's a box of them sitting on the desk.

Being summoned seems to have a rather ominous tone to it, and so it's with a slightly uneasy look that Xander enters the office proper, looking around to acclimate himself to his surroundings (guard training coming into play) before resting his hands on the back of the opposing chair. "Sir," is his greeting to the bronzerider, hand lifting in an easy salute even as sea green eyes continue to take in all the little details. "This is a cozy space." He is probably aware of to whom it belongs, judging by the slight reverance with which he grasps that chair. "So.. uh.. you sent for me?"

While the cat's away, no? Being summoned might have an ominous tone, but Zi'on himself isn't very scary. Well, maybe he is to Xander since they don't know each other. "Oh, yes. Hi Xander. You want a pastry? You can call me Zi'on by the way. Unless we're in like… some official context or something. Like a holder meeting. Though I don't plan to drag you to any of those." Zi'on shoves what's left of the pastry into his mouth and pauses for a bit to chew. "How's your reading and writing? I guess it doesn't matter too much." He wipes some of the cream out of his beard. "I need someone to run messages for me, collect paperwork, that sort of thing. Mostly from my wingleaders and their 'seconds. Normally Ila'den does this sort of thing but we're a little short staffed these days."

Xander seems adverse to letting go of titles. Something involving respect or discipline is probably mulling around in the teen's brain as his face scrunches contemplatively. It's a with a slow nod that he finally acquiesces and expresses this with a, "Zi'on," and a nod. As the bronzerider questions him, Xander nods at appropriate intervals, indicating that yes, he can read and write (though maybe his uneasy grin suggests he's not the /best/ at either) and before he knows it, he's agreeing to run messages. "It'd.. yes, it would be an honor, sir—err, Zi'on." Pausing, he cracks a small smile. "So long as it doesn't get me in deep with the Headwoman. She apparently has a lot of things for me to do." The joys of candidacy.

Zi'on isn't terribly respectful. And titles mean little and less to him now that he was head honcho. Or at least now that he believes himself to be more than just working for the man. Even if this man happens to be a weyrlady. It was all part of growing up as a weyrbrat when your father was weyrsecond. And then ended up as wingleader of your wing that you graduated into. "Eh, it'll mostly be forms and rosters and things. Gotta keep track of every head at the weyr. Though mostly it's wing-related." Zi'on slides the box of pastries over towards Xander after taking another out. "You'll at least know who all the candidates are. You're from the hold, right? Which one again?"

Xander eyes the pastries momentarily, before reaching out to take one and bring it to his lips. Mmm. Bliss is short-lived, however, because he's nodding and making mental checklists of what the other man is asking of him. "Right." Swallow. "Right. I've already made note of who most of the really higher-ups are, so that shouldn't be too much of a problem. And I do know the present candidates. Hard not to when we're all living together." An easy smile follows, before he's nodding again. "Half Moon Bay Hold. Just a ways from here, really."

Zi'on blinks, then laughs. "Don't look scared. It's not hard or anything. Anyways, don't worry about the headwoman. Enka will see to that. Though you may still have to do things from time to time for her. She doesn't like me, so we'll just tell her you're working for Enka." Zi'on bites into his pastry, then licks the cream off that's oozed around the sides. "That's good. Heh. Well, I suppose so. But you'll be the first to know them. All the paperwork comes through here." He eyes Xander for a moment then. "Just don't get to know them -too- well. This is the first class where I'm actually older than most of the candidates." So he needs to not get to know them too well, too? "Ah yeah, I remember now. You got family there still?"

"Don't worry, si—Zi'on. I will be the soul of discretion," Xander solemnly promises, even if he does grant the bronzerider a small jocular grin. (Oh, he does have a sense of humor!) Another bite of his procured pastry is taken as he nods. "I am confident that I can handle it. And it will be nice, I suppose to get a sense of the person before meeting them," he muses quietly, before meeting Zi'on's gaze and blinking. "I won't." It's firm and decisive. But thankfully, Zi'on turns the subject to Xander's family, and the young man can soften. "Yeah. Mum, Dad, and five brothers and sisters."

"Eh. You won't get much of a sense." Zi'on presents Xander with one of the candidate forms. Other than where they're from, what their name is and general characteristics, there's not much to go on. "I guess you can tell if they're weyrbred or holdbred, or… other." He gives a nod to Xander's confirmation about not getting too close. "Good sized family. Are you the only one that's left then? To fulfill all your dreams as a guard at a weyr?" Zi'on chuckles a bit. "I should kid, I know. My ma basically kicked me out." He laughs. "She was all 'you need to spend more time with your father, Zsriston!'. And then packed me off to Western. And now she guilt trips me for never coming home to see her."

Xander seems to have eased up a bit, now leaning more heavily on the chair as he munches on the last of his procured pastry. Head tilts from side to side as he takes in the bronzerider's words. "It's a decent start, anyway," he provides optimistically about candidate background learning (or checks) before he stifles a laugh in regards to his familial situation. "I am. Parents were none too happy about it. Although, it wasn't this giant dream of mine to come here. It was close. I don't really have any grad designs for myself. I'm just a simple guy."

Zi'on leans back and sticks his feet up on the desk. "Yeah I guess." He shrugs a bit. and puts the paper back into a pile. The weyrleader finishes up his pastry then crosses his fingers behind his head. "Ah. Just wanted out, then? What made you decide to join up with the guards? Too much work for me, it seems. I was going to join a craft, but I couldn't figure out which one. Ma suggested the harpers, and when Da found out he told me to stand." Zi'on laughs. "I guess he didn't want any uh… male greenrider for his first born son or whatever. I dunno. My dad is holdbred so he's weird about some things." Zi'on claps his hands together then. "So. You got a special girl in your life?"

"Just needed to see more of the world, I guess," Xander concludes with a slight shrug of his shoulders. "Been guarding back at the Hold, a bit, so it just seemed natural to continue it here." Easy thought trajectory. "A good way to practice discipline, and a good way to keep the body in shape. Been raising runners my whole life. I know the importance of fitness." There's a smirk there, a little self confident gesture, before he completely abandons any confidence and laughs (turning a nice shade of red). "Uh.. um.. not really." But there's a definite pause there before he offers the bronzerider a curt nod. "I should get back to my chores. But let me know if and when you need something." Another salute, and provided Zi'on lets him, he is high-tailing it out of there FAST.
