Xanadu Weyr - Observation Level
Dark blue seats form a semi-circle around the sands below, the lowest row separating from the sands themselves by merely a railing. The seats climb upwards, each row a bit higher then the previous, and they are broken up into sections by 3 sets of staircases. Lights are evenly spaced along the outer wall, lighting the seats and the sands easily, though they tend to be dimmed unless a major event is taking place. A large balcony looms overhead, darkening some of the seats, providing a place for observers of the draconic kind to watch without obstructing the view for others.
When one looks over the railing, the oddly hued sand below can be seen easily, the circle-shaped area of the sands spread out to the far walls, the sand itself a unique mixture of red and white grains.
Off to one side at the lowest level there is what looks like a makeshift camp with a mattress for a bed set across several seats and a small table set up in front of one of the seats at the head of the mattress with a small portable cooler pushed underneath the table. A small frame with a half-finished tapestry rug on it is set up nearby, but Thea isn't working on the tapestry at the moment. Instead she's sitting at the table with a pile of paperwork in front of her and a mug of something cold at hand, which is sipped at periodically. Below, on the sands, Seryth lies awake, tail twitching in an uncharacteristic unrest.
M'nol enters slowly making a repeat performance of the last time Seryth was on the sands as he carefully juggles a tray of food, not realizing that Thea had set herself up much better than on her previous tenure. His eyes flick to Seryth's twitching tail, then to the pile of glimmering eggs, then back to Thea with a smile, "Hey, Thea, I thought you migh-" his face falls a little when he sees the mini-cooler. He'd been trying to be nice and just dragged a tray of food across the Weyr for nothing, he thought.
Phylicia has been around the Weyr, doing candidate type things for the past week or so. Though before that there was a noticeable abscene of a certain person for a good portion of a day. The returning person had definitely dampened moods, but she seems to have thrown herself into candidacy with ferve, doing what chores they set to her thoroughly. Today finds her running errands. More specifically, errands for whomever is stuck on the sands. The mini-camp is noted with a grin and the girl slips over to where Thea and M'nol are. "Afternoon, Weyrwoman. Sir." Now see, she's going to be all nice and proper too. But her usual perkiness from prior that visit seems to be lacking. As well as M'nol's caduceus pendant.
Thea is mid-sip of her mug as footsteps draw her attention from a brief look at the sands and the restless gold down there, her eyes shift towards M'nol over the rim, recognition lights her eyes with welcome for the brownrider even as she notes that tray. Her mug is lowered as she spots the tray. Food! She has a cooler full of ice and drinks, but not food. Her smile is genuine, if a little forced, "Oooh, what did you bring me?" Her mood is, apparently a bit subdued. Phylicia's arrival is noted since she's already looking that way and there's obvious pleasure in seeing her friend. Ignoring that title, "Heya Phy. How goes it these days?" She's taking in the girl's countenance, a small frown of concern forms as she notes the absence of that necklace. "Is… ah, everything all right, Phy?"
M'nol catches that smile and relaxes a little, so it's not a wasted effort, "I brought some sweet and meatrolls as well as a fresh bubbly and some fruit." He frowns slightly at Phy's subdued entrance, clearly concerned moreso than upset, as awkward as he still feels around her, "Afternoon, Phy, are you…" He trails off as Thea asks in her own way first, "I… I'd heard you'd been searched…"
Phylicia is willing it to be less awkward, though that's probably not exactly working. As both riders ask her their questions, one hand subconsiously goes to where that pendant should be, trying to finger it and there's a momentary look of annoyance as she remembers its not there. The smile they get is - like Thea's - a little forced, but slightly less genuine. "You don't see a healer's knot on me anymore, do you, 'Nol?" It's not a tart question, merely a rhetorical one. And if they don't call her candidate, she's going to assume its safe to drop the titles. Thea's question however, gets a little bit of deliberation. "I'm well, and the people I care about seem to be doing… alright." She supplies after that moment. "Everything's fine." Would someone like to call her bluff on that?
Thunk! That's Thea's mug going down on the table and the paperwork is pushed carefully to the far corner. She pats the table, indicating that the brownrider can set the tray there. "Thanks, M'nol. I was starting to feel hungry." Something from Seryth pulls her attention to the sands and she shakes her head firmly, murmuring firmly, "Settle." Back to Phylicia, she can guess who 'people I care about' refers to and that pause is noted. After a long moment of consideration she drawls, "Sure it is. You want to try that again?" Perhaps it's the unrelenting heat and her constant exposure to it that has her uttering the words the way she does, though they aren't sarcastic as much as concerned.
M'nol sets the tray of food where Thea indicates, then plops himself on the bench, turned to look up at Phy from the bench below. He studies her for a few moments, having known her well for a long time despite their recent separation, "Phy…" He pauses again, the faint smell of smoke possibly rising as his brain churns over his options. After a few moments, he takes a deep breath and speaks again, his voice calm and concerned more than anything else, "Phy, you don't seem yourself. And it seems to me it's more than just being searched. I think of all the Weyr, if you can talk to anyone, it's Thea and I."
It's been noted that people under constant heat exposure tend to get cranky, and Phylicia blinks for a moment as Thea calls her bluff. She doesn't sit. She makes no move to sit. After all, she's supposed to be Thea's aide for the moment being. "The trip back to Healer Hall, to get permission from the Craftmaster to stand… didn't go very smoothly." Phylicia says after another moment of silence, her lips pressing into a thin line. M'nol gets a long look from her. It's nearly two minutes before she speaks, and she's obviously still trying to hedge. "The short of it is that I'm suspended as a Healer until after Seryth's eggs hatch." No, the line to her mouth isn't pleased. "If I don't impress, I go back to the hall to have judgement passed and probably spend the rest of my life in a classroom. If I do impress… I probably won't be allowed to practice as a Healer anymore." The endings she see's for herself are purely speculation however, and Seryth's irritableness is noticed. "Is something wrong with her, Thea? She seems restless." Yeesss.. lets try and change the topic. Lets just see how well the ploy works.
Thea's smile wavers at M'nol, "Thanks!" She means it, even if her normal cheery mood isn't the one she's wearing today. She takes a meatroll, bites and while chewing lifts the plate and offers it in the direction of the other two in turn with a silent lift of her eyebrows. She'll share! She's nodding to agree with M'nol, mumbling around her mouthful an incoherent agreement that she can talk to them. As Phylicia speaks, the junior listens carefully, taking in all the nuances of voice and facial expression. "But… Phy. Why? What happened? And is that why you're not wearing your necklace?" She shakes her head, incomprehension on her face, "At any rate, why would they take you back if you didn't Impress, but bar you from practice if you did?" This makes not one bit of sense to her. "Why waste four turns of excellent healer training?" Phylicia's question draws her eyes back to the sands, "She's brooding." Which may or may not cover the entire reason for Seryth's mood, but that's the reason Thea gives.
M'nol's jaw slackens a bit, missing the offer to share the food as he focuses on Phy's words. Once she's done speaking he just sort of stares at Phy for another few moments, then blinks twice, "That vile hag!" The venom in his voice drains nearly instantly and his face softens as he lets Thea talk while he tries to regain the rest of his mind. Somewhere in the distance is an unhappy rumble that could easily be Faraeth mirroring his bonded's displeasure. He spares no more than half-a-glance for Seryth as she's discussed, then turns back to Phy. "oh, Phy… I- that's…" Yeah, words… uh… huh… He stands and starts to move towards her as if to hug her, then stops, frozen mid-hug-motion, not fully certain where they stand on even such minor physical contact.
Phylicia shifts her feet slightly, as if standing on one spot suddenly got uncomfortable, her cheeks flushing straight to a soft red, bypassing the pink range completely. "I yelled at the Craftmaster." A few times too many. "In front of others. The only reason I'm only suspended is because my dad stepped in and made a bargain." M'nol's reaction draws a bit of a startled jerk from her, though she gives him half of a smile, waving for him to sit back down. Hugs would dissolve what self control she's constructed around the issue, and by the slightly more stubborn, occasionally clenching set to her jaw, she's reaching her limit on being able to discuss it like a rational person. Thea's question as to her necklace merely gets a nod, and the girl turns her attention back towards Seryth. Let's try again… "About what? Her eggs are safe. You're here bordering the point of giving yourself heat exhaustion…" Maybe an overstatement, maybe not.
Shocked surprise has left Thea still sitting and having made no move to comfort her friend as the words Phylicia's said sink in. M'nol's exclamation draws an absent murmur, "Careful brownrider, she is the MasterHealer of Pern." Ice-green eyes snap a cold fury for her friend, however and her protest is slightly more diplomatic, though the one word is nearly spit out, "Fraille?" Phylicia's admission draws a puzzled frown, "I know the woman can goad people beyond reason, but this just doesn't sound like you, Phy. Were you under some sort of stress?" Which, given her scanty knowledge of how things have been and who her friend spends her time with might be an accurate guess. She shrugs about Seryth, her attention on her friend rather than her own issues. "Oh, Phy, I'm sorry everything seems to be hitting you hard this past turn." She rises and steps to her friend, the hug she's offering might just be difficult to fend off. "Anything I can do to help?"
M'nol's expression stays perhaps a tad too severe, though the anger clearly isn't aimed at either of the women he's currently sitting with, "I'm sorry, Thea, I just… it's all I can think. She's always been frustrating, but this?" He gestures feebly towards Phy, still standing despite her insistence that he sit. They'd been distant since their separation, but he still couldn't imagine Phy exploding at Fraille without good cause. His expression shifts some, moving from anger, to sadness. He couldn't imagine Phy not being a healer. She'd /always/ been a healer to him, first and foremost.
Phylicia's eyes move between the two riders and swallows audbily. However, looking between the two almost allows Thea to get her arms around Phy, but the girl duck and squirms backwards, out of reach. "Not right now." She half-croaks, before clearing her throat. "I won't… go into the details somewhere so public." She says, her voice a little more normal. After all, the less people that know about the fiasco, probably the better. She forces herself to swallow, giving them both a faint smile. "I do deserve some sort of punishment from her…" Is what she'll admit to, before she's bobbing a curtesy to her friends and starting to retrace her steps. "I'll be around today if you need me, Thea. I just… have to go attend Hinae for a bit." And on cue, the growing gold appears from Between, creeling pleadingly for a meal. And Phy isn't waiting around for a proper dismisaal. She's moving back towards the exit.
Thea nods briefly at M'nol, repeating herself, "Just be careful. Don't want to see you get in trouble saying that in front of anyone else." Which might reveal she isn't going to come down on him for it. Her main concern is Phylicia and she winces when her friend avoids her. Arms drop to her side and she nods wordlessly. "Some see me when you're ready to talk?" If she ever is, seems to be the unspoken part of that offer. She blows out a breath, shaking her head, "That's too extreme for an insubordination punishment, Phy, you and I both know it." She simply nods as the girl leaves, making no attempt to recall her. As her steps fade, she murmurs, "Something's troubling her, M'nol. I'm worried about her."
M'nol winces a little as well as Phy beats a hasty retreat, then settles back onto the bench with a soft thump and a quiet sigh as he looks after Phy's retreating form. After a moment, he nods, "I said it in the moment… I won't again, certainly not in front of her… even if it /is/ true." He sighs again, retrieving the insulated water bottle from his flight jacket and taking a long drink of it before he nods again, "She looks… seems… broken… I can't imagine Phy not being a healer, dragon or no."
Thea nods, her gaze still on the stairs where Phylicia disappeared. After a long and thoughtful silence, there's a long-drawn sigh from the weyrwoman. Her voice is heavy, "I can't either, M'nol, I can't either." She turns, steps back to her table and sits abruptly. She tries to grin at M'nol's comment on the oft-insane seeming and always verbally abusive MasterHealer, but the result is a sickened grimace. The tray is pushed to one side - her appetite is gone - her paperwork is drawn back to the front. She falls silent then staring numbly at the top page.
M'nol nods, standing again slowly, "I should feed Faraeth… I… well, you know where my Weyr is and how to find me… I think I may wander a bit and think… I never thought I'd see Phy so broken…" He moves carefully and slowly up the stairs, turning back long enough to murmur, "And try to eat… I'm sure you'll need it…" Then he's gone, too… lost in his own world of thought.