The Weather... Sort of.

Writers: Miriah, Yvonne
Date Posted: 26th October 2020
Series: The Lighthouse Keeper

Characters: Alina, J'ackt
Description: Alina and J'ackt talk about the weather. Sort of.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 6, day 3 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: M'gan

Alina

J'ackt

Alina lay on her back, staring up at the night sky. J'ackt lay beside
her and the heat from where their arms touched was a pleasant
counterpoint to the slight chill of the night. The stars and
constellations twinkled above them and she could hear the faint murmur
of the Weyr and the soughing of the waves on the beach. It was never
that quiet around Dolphin Cove Weyr, no matter the hour. "I collected
my first weather reports today," she said quietly. "Did you know that
air is heavy? We're carrying air around on our shoulders all the time,
and didn't even notice."

It wasn't often anymore that J'ackt was still for this long. Before
coming to the Weyr, he had long silences like this, but never with
company. Her voice broke into his idle thoughts and he rolled his head
to look at her. He took the time to think about what she said and one
brow rose "No, I didn't. Makes sense though, I guess." He paused,
thinking. "'Specially since you can feel it when your dragon leaps
into the air. That pressure, I mean."

"Yeah... but it's weird, thinking that air is heavy. Wind pushes, but
it isn't really... heavy. Or doesn't feel heavy." She stared up at the
stars, turning her conversation with the Starcrafter over in her head.
"I never really thought about how air works before. Or weather. It's
always just... there."

"Sounds like air is a lot like water, don't it?" J'ackt pursed his lip
in thought. "We think about the water when we're in it, but nah, don't
think about air much when we're in it." He took her hand, his callused
thumb caressing the top of her hand. "Sounds like you're really
interested in all this."

"I guess. It's just I never really thought about it before. But I was
weird and actually _liked_ Harper classes." She wrinkled her nose. "Or
rather, when the Harpers came through the Cothold. Mostly we were
taught by the uncles and aunties. The Harpers always had much more
interesting things to talk about, like history and mathematics and..."
she trailed off. "I always thought that the Weyrleaders got the
weather forecast by sending someone out to where Thread would fall the
day before, but it's actually all math."

"Math..." J'ackt made a visible shudder. "I'll leave you to do all the
math. You know it wasn't something I was really great at. Or writing."
He chuckled softly, rolled on to his side and propped his head up on
his hand. "You going to do more of the weather things? Looks like it's
really got you interested."

"I will until J'pil's back to fighting fit or M'gan assigns me to
something else. But I kind of like
it. It's interesting to visit the Starsmiths in all these weird, out
of the way places. And Holds, too. Honestly I think the only reason
M'gan assigned this route to me is because I'm not Weyrbred."

"What does you being holdbred have to do with it? I wouldn't think it
matters, really. Shards," he smirked, "what would he do with me? Send
me off to the middle of nowhere?"

"You could liaise with the wherries." Alina smiled mischievously. "The
official Weyr Wherry Wrangler. Weyr Wherrier?"

Arching his brow, J'ackt looked up at Zith, who lay near by. The big
bronze leaned his head over them and pointedly licked his teeth. "Zith
approves of that idea. He says he'll even share the wherr....weyr..."
His lips fumbled over the tongue twister. "Wherries. he. wrangles."

Alina laughed. "Wagons of wrangled wherries to the weyr! Wangles of--
wangled-- oh flame it!"

J'ackt burst out laughing, falling back on his back and holding his
abdomen. "Wangles! Wangled wherries!" For some reason, he found the
tongue twister extremely hilarious and couldn't stop the laughter at
both of their fumblings. "Wangled wherry wagons whisked
awound...around the Weyr!"

"You're a wangled wherry!" Alina sat up and straddled the laughing
bronzerider. "A wangled wherry wrangler!"

Tears of laughter spilled from the corners of J'ackt's eyes as Alina
straddled him, but he continued holding his ribs as they began to
ache. Faranth, if he didn't adore her! So few people really got to see
this side of her, this happy, laughing side. He sat up, wrapping his
arms around her waist while he continued to laugh. Finally he rested
his head on her shoulder, his own still shaking.
"Wangled...wherry...wrangler!" His voice broke again and he shook his
head. "How do you come up with this stuff?"

Alina slung her arms around his shoulders. "It's because I'm smarter than you."

That brought another chortle against her shoulder. "Probably. And you
love that."

"I can't help it if it's true." She brushed her lips against his ear
as she spoke. The night was warm, the sky above brilliant with stars.
J'ackt was warm against her, and her thoughts were quickly abandoning
higher mathematical equations and the nature of /between/ for more
earthly concerns.

There was a swift indrawn breath and a quick shudder down his spine at
the soft touch. "Mmmhmm..." They were in the open and she was doing
this...he wasn't going to argue with her. Especially not now. He
grinned against her shoulder, then placed a series of soft,
open-mouthed kisses towards her neck. "Much smarter. Softer. Sweeter."

"I'm not a pie," she said tartly. The night was dark and Zith was
close by, to shield them from view. What if...

"Mmm...no. You have spice." He lifted his head and slowly kissed her
lower lip. "And you make me laugh." He kissed the corner of her mouth,
then along her jawline, a smile playing around the corners of his own
mouth. "Like...a spicy meat roll."

"A-- _spicy_meat_roll_?!" Alina drew back so that she could glare at
him. "Are you serious?!"

He pulled his head back and attempted to look sweet, but ended up
bursting with laughter, falling back and holding his stomach. "The
look on your face!"

"Ugh. You are as romantic as a meat roll." Alina sighed and rolled off
J'ackt. Somewhere up the beach she heard someone laugh and the rumble
of a dragon to remind her that they were not alone. Unfortunately.

He chuckled and rolled right back over her, hovering and keeping his
weight on his arms and knees. A smile still played over his mouth,
glints of humor in his eyes. "A spicy redfruit tart. With cream."

She narrowed her eyes at him but didn't try to push him away. "Nice
try, but your timing is _way_ off."

He bent to lightly kiss her lower lip. "Sweet and spicy. " He settled
himself lightly over her and wiggled his hips. "So...tell me more
about the weather."

Alina glared at him. He was clearly _not_ interested in the weather.
And if she was being honest, neither was she. "No."

Her glare just made his smile wider. He loved her temper sometimes. He
bent to press light kisses along her neck "Tell me about the air
pressure." He lightly nipped her ear lobe. " And the math..."

The stir of his breath against her skin was raising gooseflesh. "You
wouldn't understand it if I talked about math," she said primly.

"Hmm.." He agreed, far more interested in the reactions he was getting
than what she was saying. If he could just get Zith to move a little
closer, he'd be able to do exactly what he wanted to. He grinned
against her neck and let his hand tickle under her shirt along her
side. "So, let's think about something else, hm?"

"Fine!" Alina grabbed his tickling fingers to keep them still-- and
keep her ribs safe. "What do _you_ want to talk about?"

"Woman, you are driving me crazy." He nuzzled her neck. "I said think,
not talk. Think. Think about all the things we could be doing
_besides_ talking. I have so many ideas."

"I can't read your mind," she said, a little breathless. "Use your words!"

Softly chuckling, his lips moved to her ear as he began to describe
everything he wanted to do with her, in exacting, graphic detail. He
nuzzled her earlobe after, smoothing his hands down her side. "What do
you say? Words into action? Hm?"

It was a good thing it was so dark because Alina had blushed bright
pink. Good girls didn't entertain that sort of talk, but the night sky
was brilliant with stars and the velvety dark made her feel reckless.
She was a good person, but she was also a greenrider... and could be
wicked if she chose. Alina tangled her fingers in J'ackt's hair and
kissed him hard, showing through action that her answer was 'yes'.

Last updated on the October 27th 2020

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