Prove It To Me!

Xanadu Weyr - M'nol's Cabin
Inside the cottage one will find things are pretty simple, one large room for all ones living needs with a second room for a bedroom. Within the mainroom stands a set of chairs before a stone fireplace, a rather worn braided rug sets between them on the hardwood floor. Each of the walls facing the outside have large windows in them, allowing light to filter in through the creamy sisal curtains. One nice things about these windows is that they slide open and shut to allow for a natural flow of fresh air to move through the cottage.


It's late afternoon to early evening on another winter's day at Xanadu, when Phylicia usually shows up to make another attempt at this whole thing. Though it just happens to be the same day that Phy had run into Janelle and Hyrlon in the early hours of the day. The apprentice is getting more used to the hike up the stairs, for she has all of her breath, and her legs ache only minorly. She looks to the pile of travel gear stacked into the corner and sighs softly before her gaze starts to look for M'nol as she sheds her coat, hanging it easily on a peg.

Though Faraeth had warned M'nol of Phy's imminent arrival, he'd waited until he heard her enter to poke his head out of the bedroom, then wander out to meet her, a couple of fresh redfruit in hand. He smiles softly and murmurs, "Evening, Phy. Redfruit?" He offers one of the fruit as he asks, then continues, "How was your day?"

Phylicia takes the redfruit, though she doesn't bite into it right away her nails instead skimming the skin of the fruit. The fact he came out of the bedroom gave her a slight start before she shakes her head, smiling slightly. "Almost normal." She says in response. "I met your brother this morning." She takes a few steps further into the cabin, glad for the fruit in hand to give her something to play with. "How has yours been?"

M'nol quirks an eyebrow, "Hyrl? I'm sure that had to be awkward. He's much smoother than me." Morl examines his own redfruit, then looks up at her, "Tiring. Sweeps all over the continent." He quirks a half-smile and nods, more to the apple than to her, "Are you… okay?"

"Awkward?" Phylicia asks, a little startled before she laughs lightly. "A little." But Janelle was there, so thankfully she could slip off for breakfast. "I'm sorry." She says in response to the sweeps. "You must be exhausted." And then he asks and she sighs again. "Yes and no." It's a loaded question that he asked. "Tenebrous needs me on a trip to High Reaches in a day or two." Is there… guilt in her tone? Especially since her gaze flicks to the packages stacked up against the wall, and then to the floor.

M'nol smiles and nods, "A little, but I never sleep before I know you're fine for the night…" The mention of High Reaches causes him to glance up suddenly, then take a bite of his fruit to avoid a quick answer. He chews slowly, then swallows before responding carefully, "For how long? and how will you get there?" His voice is sad, but that's to be expected. He pointedly avoids looking at the travel gear. They would leave when she was ready and not before. He'd resigned himself to that.

Phylicia's smile is touched, if sad at his first comment. But by now, her nails have grown just long enough to be able to puncture the skin of the redfruit as her hands tense. "As long as it takes to get enough pillarwood for a glasscrafter's project." Her shoulders lift in a shrug. "It could be four days, or it could be longer." The floor has become very interesting to her, along with the redfruit, because her gaze hasn't lifted. "Ten should be talking with the weyrwoman about now to finish planning how and when.." There's an undertone in her body and it finally takes its toll on her knees, making them give way and depositing her on floor in a sitting position with a squeaked 'mmph'. "I'm sorry." Her voice is small and quiet as she continues to talk at the floor. "All I seem to do now is run away…"

M'nol moves to catch her, but fails, instead ending up sitting next to her on the floor. His oomph is even tinier than hers, "It's not running if your master… well… journeyman calls…" He sighs softly, setting his redfruit on the ground, "I /do/ miss you, Phy… but I hurt you, not the other way around and I'm not going to hurt you more by trying to tie you down…" His hand hesitates, then moves to settle on her knee if she'll let him, "I could take you there… if you want… to High Reaches, that is…"

"Mentor." Phylicia supplies quietly as he stumbles around titles for Tenebrous. She doesn't draw away from his hand on her knee but instead seems to relax a touch. "But that's today." Her gaze raises to look at the piles of packages. "How long has this been going on?" She's rather lost track of time, but it can only be a little over a sevenday, maximum. How long has she not been staying at this weyr? Just as long. Her gaze once again finds the floor, looking a little more frustrated. "But I'm hurting you too, by not getting over this." It seemed like she was going to start raising her voice, but instead it's dropped down again, sounding tired. But she shakes her head. "I can't keep you from your sweeps. And I don't know anything of the details…"

M'nol flexes his fingers gently on her leg and smiles, sadly, yes, but a smile, "It does hurt, I won't deny it. But I know it will take as long as it takes and I'm here for you for as long as it takes I'll wait." He nods slowly and shrugs, "Sweeps are just sweeps. I'm sure I could ask F'yr to take my place. She's /dying/ to get more flying in." He pauses, thinking for a moment, then there's a soft rumble from below and he chuckles softly, "Faraeth says he wants to make sure you're safe…"

Phylicia lifts her shoulders in a helpless shrug. "I honestly don't know any of the details, M'nol." Her tone really is sounding tired, now that she's one the floor and not moving around anymore. "So I couldn't say yes or no." It's something he'd have to take up with someone else, because it wouldn't be her place even if she did know the details. Knowing that the brown below is worried - or at least does worry - about her brings a small twitch of a smile to her face. "You mean he doesn't want to bar me from your life?" Because a dragon angry at someone making their rider continuously sad is not a dragon she wants to face if she can help it.

M'nol nods slowly, "I know… just… remember I'm willing if it needs to happen…" He smiles a little, shaking his head and sending his slowly re-growing hair flopping a bit. He reaches over and tries to gently move her head to look into his eyes, but he won't force her motion, "Phy… I couldn't be mad at you and neither could Farry. And he misses you, too. Says the weyr's too empty without you…"

Phylicia fights his hand turning her head for a split second before she sucks in a breath, letting him turn her head. Her gaze however doesn't stay looking at him for long periods of time instead flitting between him and his lap. The emotional strength that she usually holds for everything else just seems to not be there, or only there in small amounts. But she can't look at him for long, as if she's turned into some sort of flighty creature around him. As uncomfortable as it might be, she doesn't seem to be able to say anything.

M'nol's mind whirls as Phy stays silent, but he manages to keep a calm expression on his face, just letting his hands linger where they are, glad of any contact, however Platonic, with her. After what seems like an eternity, he sighs softly and glances briefly away from her before turning back, "Phy. I love you. I can't be clearer than that."

The contact seems to be one of the only things keeping Phylicia rooted to her spot. His confession of feelings both makes her smile with more feeling, yet tighten with a little bit of apprehension. Though a small part of her wishes to quite literally be carried off, she finally sets her own piece of fruit down on the floor and takes his free hand in both of hers if he doesn't pull away and gives it a squeeze. "That just proves it." She says quietly, though at least it looks like something has been put to rest in her. "The problem's with me." Her toes wiggle in her shoes as if she's making sure there's still feeling in them. "And I don't know what the problem is."

M'nol smiles softly at the woman he knows without a doubt he loves, letting her squeeze his hand. His shoulders move up, then down, not necessarily defeated, just unsure. His un-held hand moves to gently caress her cheek, "Maybe… maybe what you need is to stop thinking and just do…" He sighs, "It sounds so stupid coming from me, but.." He shrugs again, this time a tad defeated.

Phylicia's eyes close momentarily as he caresses her cheek, feeling slightly more right than she has for a little while. "I'm scared to just … do." She admits finally, sounding a bit ashamed. She hasn't pulled away yet, but the usual signs of flight are starting to show starting with minor fidgeting and looking elsewhere again. But the only person she has to keep her backbone from turning into jelly is herself.

M'nol nods slowly, his hand staying right where it is. Not moving away, not pushing for more, just sitting there. He glances away as well, "As I said… I'm not exactly the poster child for letting things just be right now, but… thinking yourself into terror isn't helping either…" He sighs and turns back to her, all the while his hands not moving unless she moved them, "Phy… I just want you to be happy…"

Phylicia would likely be breaking up in laughter if she had any clue how other couples' talks usually went along these lines. She finally removes his hand from her face with care and gentleness, but wobbles to her feet. He might have caught the flash of annoyance from her as she heads into the bedroom. And maybe all of this is why apprentices are highly discouraged to have romantic relationships. One of her bags is half packed for the gathering field trip before she finally speaks as she's bending over the bag on the bed, putting clothing into it. "Is that all that matters? Me being happy?" Her tone is neutral, though clearly a question.

M'nol watches her leave, then stands slowly, his face falling as he watches her pack, sure she's planning on leaving forever. He stays in the door way, just watching… then she asks him a question and he pauses in thought. He sighs softly, trying not to stare at her, "Phy… more than anything I want you happy like you were before… If I could magically undo what happened I would have long ago… if leaving and never coming back would make you happy, then please just make it quick." There's another draconic rumble and M'nol sighs, "But if you can still be happy here… with me… then… please stay."

Phylicia is looking at him, or at least when she's carefully putting things into the bag she is. But if he notices her actions, she's not taking many of her 'around the Weyr' clothing. Just the clothing that she uses for chores or going out into the forest. She ponders his answer for a moment, her hands pausing in their packing. "But what do you want?" She pauses. "Me being happy isn't going to work either." It's almost like she's trying to goad him into some sort of action, instead of the talking inaction he's been a part of. "What is it that /you/ want?"

M'nol blinks, now /that/ was a hard question. He ponders it for a second, watching her pack, "Just under your happiness? I want us happy together. I want you to know that I'm here… always here. I want to love you and have you love me back. I want… you."

Phylicia finishes stuffing into the bag a pair of summer weight PJs into the bag as well as her bathing suit and a towel after it before she zips the bag closed. She closes her eyes as he answers, but fails to move. Sending out a tendril of apology for what she's going to do, she hope Faraeth picks it up as she shoulders her bag and moves to brush by M'nol back out into the living area. What some might mistake for coolness, is her trying not to break. "I'm going to get the details of the trip. And-" Hopefully "-get some sleep." But her tone isn't cold by any means, but shakey. "When I get back…" She opens her eyes to look at him, and there's a faint twinkle there. "I think I'll give you a day to prove that." And she slowly turns around, waiting for a few moments for it to sink in until she takes a few more slow steps away. Yes. Women are a mystery.

M'nol's shoulders slump, his face falling as she moves past him. Somehow certain he's said the wrong thing. Then her last words filter through the haze of hurt and he looks up at her, his eyes glistening for a different reason. He blinks twice, his mind making a rapid adjustment to it's new status - 'plotting mission: woo Phylicia' and he nods, accompanied by a bellow from below, but not an angry one, almost more a triumphant bugle, "I will, Phy. I will." The conviction in his voice is a relatively new phenomenon for the last sevenday, but it's a start.

Phylicia jumps as Faraeth below them bugles, having not been prepared for that. Her back is to him, so he can't see he momentary grin before she nods her head, lips turning into a slight quirked smile as she looks over her shoulder. "I'll send Estevan back before we leave." And hopefully a goodly enough time ahead where if he has to ready anything, he can. "Sleep well." She calls out as she starts making her way down the stairs, so she can go figure out what's going on.

M'nol nods slowly and murmurs, "Thank you, Phy." Her parting remark stings just a little. He hadn't slept well since that day… he still wasnt' sure if it was the lack of her or the memory of what he'd done. Faraeth blinks a blue-green eye at her as she passes him, following her exit carefully.

Phylicia's decent is slow and steady, mainly because her legs are shaking. And she exits the wallow of the weyr, taking a moment to re-gather herself on the outside of the gigantic tree, all of which Faraeth can likely pick up from the top of her mind. She really did mean the 'sleep well' in the best sense possible. A few minutes later, she pushes herself off of the trunk, scuttling across the open area back to the Weyr, since her coat is over her arm and not actually on.

Faraeth blinks, watching Phylicia's exit carefully and attempting to reassure his rider that she was not leaving him… yet…

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