Baked goods? Yes plz. [Gwyn]

[nozomi]

Appointments, always appointments. Warden chose to not be situated within the large structure for the arrival of - whoever it was he waited for. The names blurred together eventually, and earlier that day he had a prisoner that bit off a guards ear, a pregnant prisoner who was a known lesbian so that started to lead to an investigation and - and - Warden looked down at the scrap in his hands, of names. Gwyn.

Ah, yes. Gwynell, the one who made the noise. Right. With the feline. One of the less annoying personalities on the prison grounds, from what little that he could tell of her*. He'd been wrong before.

Warden was pulled out of his thoughts but a nudge from his huge Bronze. What do you want, Yusuth?

Your thinking is tiring.[/color] Monotone boredom spun through Wardens head even as Yusuth pushed his face deeper into the sand he'd sprawled himself on. The beaches were spread out and lovely, warm and delicious. His could be busy outside of his office all he wanted. Yusuth had beach. The day is almost done.[/color]

"Mm," Warden said, his eyes flicking to his boots. He leaned back against the stone wall of his office, the back of one heel digging deep against he ground. Yusuth hummed in agreement and Messenger, curled up in a large ball on Warden's shoulder, crooned. Gwynell would be there soon, hopefully, and he could go back to his own mind. Instead of grumbling, he sipped at his wineskin.

Soon she'd be there and tell him whatever it was she wanted to tell him (Please, no more ear biting, he'd sic Mama on the next one). Until then, Warden would enjoy his drink, the warm flit on his shoulder, and pretend he was not standing in the middle of a prison.




(*Warden would make a point to meet everyone at least once. Even if they never met again, they would have spoken on her arriving at Warden's.)

[Lesa]

It almost felt like the only way she'd gotten to this door alive in her current state was the "threat level" she held. That was, how likely whoever attacked her was to be beaten, not by a guard, but by their fellow prisoner. The majority of her classes adored her (biscuits and praise would do that to people, whether they were children or adults). And she'd baked for the guards earlier in the week. Being told she needs to teach the cook how to cook was a new thing, she had to admit. But even the Harper agreed that Jora, while well intentioned, was not Pern's greatest cook. She probably couldn't help the other girl as much as the guards wanted her to, but perhaps friendly advice would work... hmm.

She put it out of her mind as Halbert hissed from beside her, warning off a... guard. Not a prisoner wanting a biscuit this time, but a guard. Her braid swung behind her back as she shook her head 'no', they weren't for the woman in front of her, not these biscuits. No, the plate of still steaming sweets in her hands were for a much more important person in the prison than the female guard. A person who could actually help her, which Gwynell found rather important at the moment.

Spectacle-covered eye stared at the wooden door as she finally made it to her target. The petite Harper sighed, shifting the plate gently to one arm, cradling it to her body as she knocked with her free right hand.
"Warden V'tya?" she called out, shifting the spice-biscuits to both hands again to better hold the plate, "it's Gwynell, might I come in?" Sure, she could likely walk right in, she did have an appointment with him, but it was best to be polite, especially with the fact that some of her requests might go against what he wished for. Politeness and good food were easy ways to overcome a man's dissatisfaction with the words coming out of a woman's mouth, she'd found. Or at least it had worked on the Lord of Tillek, when she had to tell him his youngest daughter was misbehaving, and that his youngest son would never graduate her classes, as his mind was unable to comprehend the higher students' information. She'd made this biscuits then, and had saved herself from what the other Harpers had told her would be a terrible time getting shouted at.

Just hoped they worked with her requests to the Warden.

[nozomi]

Gwyn could not have had better timing. Warden just began to feel the effects of his drink (and Fellis) and he managed to get a whiff of the baked goods before he even heard the pitter-patter of little Gwyn footsteps. Even if the girl just smelled of treats, it was delicious enough he would have forgiven her for any misgivings to follow - V'tya really liked food.

Warden pushed himself from his wall, swinging around the corner with more bounce to his step than normal in the man. Thank you, Fellis plant and delicious food and polite youngsters.

"Gwynell," said warden; Gwyn being a polite girl with delicious Warden-snacks, he didn't chew her ass out for using his given name. "I'm right here."

Messenger chirped, his tail curled around Warden's throat. He eyed the plate, claws hooked in the graying knot of hair of His. Warden unlocked his office door, pushed it open for her to bustle into. And yes, he eyed the plate.

"You brought food. What are you trying to bribe me into doing, Gwynell?" Warden glanced up to her, clicking the door shut behind him. He gestured to the chair in the center of the room, a new addition. "I warn you, asking me while I eat is a very good idea."

Shards, he was hungry. Gwynell should thank his wineskin.

[Lesa]

The door opened quickly in her face - quicker than she expected, and she covered the blink by stepping forward, or would have, had Halbert not slithered in ahead of her. Rascal took the chair she was pretty sure had been meant for her - it was the one chair in the center of an office that otherwise only held a desk and chair behind it. Her smile for Warden fell into a scowl as she stared at the cat in her chair. Argh, that furball.

She soldiered on, walking across the desk to place the plate on the Warden's desk.
"Yes, sir, I brought spice biscuits, they're one of my specialties," she grinned at him, "and here I thought it would take more to bribe you, sir." Gwynell turned back smartly, lifting Halbert without a word and turning, sitting in the chair with him in her lap.

"I have a couple of requests, Warden," she began, warming up to her topic like she would warm up to her lectures when teaching, "the first is a matter of personal safety, the second is a matter of being able to better help several of my students." She paused to stroke Halbert, convincing him to settle more comfortably in her lap. Her feet dangled down, unable to reach the floor, but she was used to that. Most chairs seemed to be made for those of five feet or more; as she wasn't, she couldn't touch.

"Two of my students, Prewt in my morning class, and Melik in my afternoon class are well, to put it bluntly, freaking me out. The looks they're giving me in class, the language they use when asked to answer questions... those are just two of the things that aren't sitting right with me. They haven't precisely done anything to warrant my barring them from class. They haven't outright threatened their classmates, myself, the guards Rivka and Olri or Halbert, but it seems as if they will any day now."

She paused again, ruffling Halbert's ears, gently taking his claws out of her pants, and continued, "On the other hand, I would like to have private, or if you insist, guarded-private lessons with a few of my students. They are so far behind that I believe they have never had any schooling. Farrox in particular is one whom I would like to have these lessons with. I don't believe he can read or write at all; he hasn't passed in any work. He's," she shrugged helplessly, braid catching on the rungs of the back of the chair, "so sweet, I think Halbert could take him down should he try to attack me. I don't think that would ever cross his mind. Might I have permission to teach Farrox, at least, with additional private lessons? I would make sure they don't get in the way of his chores, perhaps during meal times or the weekends."

She looked at Warden seriously, shoving her spectacles up her nose, ignoring Halbert's grumbling at her.

[nozomi]

Whatever, she brought him food. While warden and the guards ate better than the prisoners, they didn't often get the sweet stuff. Neither did the prisoners but, really, who considered them to be in the same ranks as the guards and staff? (Other than L'vey and apparently Gwynell.) Warden let her talk, plucking up a biscuits as the younger woman prattled on about him being difficult to bribe. Where people would get that particular idea was beyond Warden but, hey, if it got him something other than the typical fare, food wise, his stomach was not about to protest.

Even the biscuits couldn't distract from her first request, the statement of feeling unsafe around a few of the larger, male prisoners. Warden knew each prisoner by face, name, and crime, much like the guards would, and he could remember Prewt and Melik - non-violent criminals, technically, but large men with cruel thoughts in their eyes. Warden easily imagined someone like Gwyn to be an easy target.

"I'll have them removed from your classes immediately, then. They won't be bothering you in classes. I'm sure you'd be able to find replacement students for them. Preferably female, if you feel the male prisoners to be too - coarse, at times. We keep them seperate for a good portion of time." The Warden said, dryly. He took another biscuit, popped it in to his mouth for a slow chew. Gwynell talked, even more, Warden listened, even further.

Farrox? Oh. The prostitute, the broken one that flinched when glared at. That's right.

"Farrox, yes. You may teach him privately with a door open at all times. I'll assign a female guard to the door," Dry voice right there. With the rate of things, Warden would have to start staffing more females, be them handles, foot, or dragon riders. ... Well. Female riders were always doubtful. They didn't much care for them outside of Warden's, after all. "As for any others, you come to me with their names, first. I expect a schedule of when these classes are to take place. if I find out that you have carried on secret lessons or without a guard present they will, of course, be discontinued. And I will have no problem sending you from the Weyr."

Warden said the last bit with a twist of wry amusement. She'd been given her permission; it'd be stupid to continue on in secret when Warden didn't protest.

"Ah-" A third sweet, waved in the air in a brief arc. "And I expect progress reports. You agree to my terms, Gwynnell, and I will agree to yours. Also, I am keeping this plate of food. I'll return the plate to you. Do we have a deal, miss?"