Overheard

Writers: Miriah, Yvonne
Date Posted: 17th July 2015

Characters: Alina, J'ackt, Rendon
Description: Gossip travels fast.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 13, day 9 of Turn 7
Notes: Notes: Follows 'Fix It!'

Alina

J'ackt

After the horrid episode in the training yard, Alina had decided to keep a low profile for a while in the hopes that the whole rumor business would blow over. Anything she said at this point would be further proof of her misdeed, no matter how false. But keeping a low profile was boring, which was how Alina found herself sitting at a table in the dining cavern with her crochet, slowly putting together another hair net to wear under her riding helmet.

She was half ways through a little purple star when someone slid onto the bench beside her. A young man about her own age, maybe a little older, with dark brown hair and a large, laughing mouth. "Hi!" he said.

"Hello." Alina looked back her project. He looked familiar, but it still felt odd to her that the Weyrfolk would approach people out of the blue with no regard as to whether or not the person they approached wanted a conversation.

"You're Alina, right?"

"I am." She looked up again, frowning slightly. "I'm not sure that I know you."

"Rendon. We met before, briefly-- before you Impressed."

"I see." Alina let the silence stretch, hoping that Rendon would get the hint. She still couldn't place him.

"Ah-- you're a Senior Weyrling now, right?" Rendon asked.

Her stomach plummeted. Senior Weyrlings were different only in that they could have relations. "Why?"

"Well..." Rendon shifted a little in his seat, then smiled. He did have an infectious smile. "I was wondering if you wanted to go stargazing with me tonight? I have some Starsmith training and it's supposed to be warm. We could have some fun...?"

Stargazing-- on a blanket, alone with some man, in the privacy of the darkness? As if! All at once it struck her-- she'd seen Rendon and Ervine together once or twice before Ervine had revealed his true nature to her. Ervine, who'd pretended to court her just to try to coax her out of her clothes. "I don't think so," she said quickly.

Rendon drooped a little. "Aw, come on. I'll bring a bottle of wine. I promise it'll be a good time."

"Listen." Alina leaned forward. Her grip tightened on her crochet enough to ruin the tension, but she didn't notice. "I don't know what Ervine told you, but I am _not_ going to go off and 'have a good time' with you," she said quietly. Her voice was tight with anger. "And how dare you come over here and make assumptions like that! You don't know me!"

Rendon leaned close too, close enough that she could feel his breath on her cheek. "See, what I hear that this whole frosty act is just that, and act-- and if you _haven't_ been sleeping around, Senior Weyrlings have to get down at some point." He shrugged, grinning. "I _can_ promise you a good time. I think we'd have fun together."

Alina made a disgusted face. "You're a porcine."

"No, see, it's this move with my _tongue_ , not my nose," Rendon said, his smile changing to a leer.

Alina gave him a disgusted look and stood up from the bench. Her little ball of yarn fell from her lap and went skittering under the opposite table, and she felt herself turn bright red from humiliation and anger as she bent to retrieve it. Wrapping her tattered pride around herself, she marched out of the room and tried not to listen to the male laughter that dogged her heels.

It wasn't hard to overhear what the other young man was saying, even at the distance J'ackt was from the table. His eyes followed Alina out, his eyes narrowing slowly as his gaze slid back to Rendon. He rose, putting aside his tray and made his decision. He approached Rendon and looked down at him, a slow smile moving over his face. From outer appearances, it may have appeared friendly, but inside, J'ackt was fuming. "Hey, Rendon. Heard her
turn you down." His teeth flashed. "I can give you some advice for her, if you like." J'ackt was well aware of his reputation and the fact that rumor was spreading might even work in his favor.

Rendon blinked. J'ackt, offering advice? "Uh... sure. Take a seat?" Whatever the bronze weyrling had to say, it was either going to be good or Rendon was going to get stabbed.

"Nah. Just come with me for a sec. Don't want to give all my secrets to the entire dining hall."

The other boy gave him a skeptical look. Walking off with J'ackt... that was not a smart thing to do. But his curiosity was killing him. **And if we stay in well traveled places...** "Better be a sharding good secret," he said after a moment, then stood. "Lead on, I guess." What was the worst that could happen?

J'ackt led him away from the dining hall, his gait purposefully relaxed, even if it took all of his will not to pound the boy immediately into the ground. J'ackt knew the kitchens well; he knew what corridors were most often used and when. The moment they turned a quiet corridor, J'ackt stopped and turned to Rendon. He heard no footsteps and no voices coming down the hallways. He looked at Rendon, tilted his head and then with shocking speed, grabbed the other young man by the neck to slam him against the wall. "I heard what you said to Alina, you fecking filthy piece of wher shit." He didn't bother hiding his fury now that they were alone. "I ought to rip your
balls off here and now, but I'll tell you what I _will_ do." His fingers tightened minutely. "You will go to her and apologize. You will beg her forgiveness. She is a lady, not some common hold whore." He gave the other boy a hard shake. "Do you understand?"

"Sure, fine! Just get your hands off me!" Rendon was scared-- J'ackt had nearly killed a man not that long ago. Stupid for having followed him. Stupid for having listened to him in the first place. He'd have bruises in the morning.

"Be quiet!" J'ackt snapped. "I want you to apologize to her _now_. And I'll be watching. If you don't do it, I swear on my dragon that I will find you and take great pleasure in making sure that you never have to worry about a woman wanting you." He looked down at the boy's groin pointedly before meeting Rendon's gaze again. "And you will never treat her that way again. Or any woman. " He shook him slightly again. "I'll know. You got that?"

"Fine!" Apologize?! Rendon had no desire to do that, but couldn't think of a way out of it. He'd so get Ervine back for this. There had to be a way out of this, but he couldn't see it just yet.

"No, not just fine." J'ackt snarled. "You'll do it. And you'll tell your friends that if they treat Alina with anything but utter respect, I'll take it _personally_." His fingers twitched on the boy's throat for a moment more. "Go find her. Apologize." His eyes narrowed. "_Now_." He let Rendon go, but his gaze never wavered.

"All right! I'm going!" Rendon swallowed thickly and tugged his tunic back into place. Just in time-- voices echoed down the hall as a pair of drudges stepped around the bend. Rendon took a step towards them, then curled his
lip in a sneer as he followed them away from the kitchens, mostly to soothe his own bruised pride.

J'ackt followed him, ignoring the drudges. He was going to make sure the idiot did as he was told.

Last updated on the July 29th 2015

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Overheard