Waking Up After Flight (J'var)

[Kayla]

They had not made it back to Neory's Weyr, something Neory would be glad of at some point. Instead, they were in one of the nicer flight rooms, having been lead to the one that had been specifically prepared for Gold Flights.

Neory woke up, a bit confused. Normally, R'net woke up before her after a flight, and she woke to him holding her. However, that was not the case this time. Neory woke with no arms around her, again a fact she'd be glad of later. She blinked a bit, before finally opening her eyes.

What had happened? She rolled over to see who was in the furs with her and gasped seeing J'var. That was when she remembered. As much as she had wanted R'net - and Sheluth had wanted Torenth - they had made the choice that they thought would be best for the weyr, what they hoped would provide a solution to the leadership issue and help to bring together the factions of Igen and Telgar together to help make this one solid weyr instead of a reluctant cooperation between to disparate weyrs.

She just hoped that it would be worth it.

[Adobe]

J'var was sleeping on his stomach, his arms clutching the pillows his head rested on. The sleep after flight, he found, was the most relaxing of his life. And he almost always woke up to the most beautiful woman on Pern. As if out of habit he mumbled in his half-sleep, "Laszreen. . . Oh Laz. . . Last night-oh my love. . ."

He rolled over to stroke her hair, but realized after he opened his eyes that it wasn't Laszreen lying next to him. The woman was extrodinarily beautiful, but she was not the goldrider he was undeniably crazy for. He blinked and pulled his hands away from her. For once in his life, he felt bashful. J'var averted his eyes, "Uh, sorry, Goldrider. Er. Neory. Uh," He stopped himself from trying to lighten up the mood with, 'was it good for you?' While it might have been either cute or funny with Laszreen, this was not the time for it. "Well, are you hungry at all? Thirsty?"

He was reluctent to slip out of the skins and let her see him naked despite the fact that she had just slept with him. Why was he so embarassed and shy now of all times? Was it perhaps because he was feeling a little guilty? How could he be guilty when Ionuth felt pleased with himself? J'var had never thought that doing his duty would ever make him feel bad. Both he and Laszreen had discussed this. If Elfreth didn't fly first, Ionuth had to try for Sheluth, and he won her. Wasn't this the outcome the weyrmates had counted on?

[Kayla]

Neory managed a smile. She did not laugh, but the truth of the matter was it made her feel better that he seemed to be out of sorts too. It also made her feel better that he too had woken up looking for his weyrmate. "Sorry to disappoint, J'var."

"And yeah... food, food would be good." She really wanted to just go to her weyr, to find R'net, to have him hold her and tell her that she made the right decision, that they wer eok.

She sat up and pulled a cover over her, like J'var, she was not interested in being seen naked. They had slept together, but were in the minds of their dragons, there had been no real intimacy, not like she was sure they both were used to experiencing.

After a moment she did chuckle, "If you'll turn around, I'll put my clothes on and then you can do the same thing. I imagine you'll went to be leaving pretty quickly." She smiled a bit to him, "I hope Laszreen understands. I know that this is not easy."

[Adobe]

"Not dissapointed, no," He shook his head slightly. It was the truth, he was not dissapointed, it was what he wanted, right? They would have joint rulership, former Seconds of Igen and Telgar, so what was the problem? He might be murdered later before he could even say one word to his riders as their Leader, but he wasn't dissapointed.

J'var nodded again, but could not find any words to speak. He could do for a little food, but perhaps things were too new between them to eat so informally together. He felt a little better that she seemed modest too. He turned as she bade him and he stared at the ceiling, "You know, this could work very well. We could mold our ruling styles and really unite our people. It's a balance. I hope you hold nothing against me as I am going to be as open as I possibly can. I know this is going to be hard, and I know you have a weyrmate. As do I," for the moment, he amended to himself only, because Neory didn't need to know those details. He sighed, "I vote neither of us expect anything. Maybe make a few public appearances together so that people see we are working together."

He peeked over his shoulder, "Done yet?" He flashed a grin and looked back to where his clothes were lying on the floor. This wasn't a flight between lovers who would stay in bed all day and be all googly eyed. They both probably wanted to get out of there.

[Kayla]

Neory smiled as she got dressed, keeping her back to him as she did so, not wanting to invade his privacy as she got dressed. "I was actually hoping for a bit more than that, J'var."

She held up a hand, even though her back was still to him, "You're fine, go ahead and get dressed, I'll keep looking this way. And I don't mean I'm hoping for more from you relationally. R'net and I will still be together, and I hope that you and Laszreen will as well. I meant more with the leadership issue from here."

It was rather hard to have this conversation talking behind her, but she did not want to betray R'net and was sure that he felt the same way about his weyrmate. "I'm hoping that we can work out some kind of new system, where the four of us lead more cooperatively. Though I guess that'd be a lot easier if there was an odd number..." she shrugged a bit.

"The idea is that the four of us were sent back to lead, admittedly, each weyr hoped that it would be their two. Regardless, I'm not sure that flight is the best way to make this decision. So I'm hoping that having a representative from each pair, gives us time to work out a solution that works better for all four of us, and unites the weyr."

[Adobe]

At her first words, his brows lifted at bit, and then realizing she must be joking with him, he laughed lightly, "Oh really, Neory?"

He slipped from the bed and threw on his pants and loose tunic. J'var smiled and nodded as she mended herself, "Naturally. And I bet your R'net will be anxious to find you. He's probably worried to know whether I hurt you or not." He snorted and then teased her a bit, "And anxious to know you're still his. I mean, I am a handsome rogue."

"You can look now, I'm decent." He pulled on his wrinkly tunic, "Well, decent enough. I'd like us to work something out, but I fail to see what we could do differently. I think we should talk about this further, though. It's worth exploring." He did agree that these couples were sent for a reason. The Weyrwomen Elisha and Jenafa had some sort of idea of what should go on, and neither would send weakly minded rankers.

"I agree with you. We must be united if we are to get anything done. I can't imagine a better compromise than this." For sure if it was Laszreen and R'net... well... J'var would not take it so noble or even able to joke about it at all.

[Kayla]

She turned around rolling her eyes at him. "You are, but a bit young for me." Neory knew that R'net would probably not have appreciated that, but the fact of the matter was that R'net was the only man she wanted to be with. She also knew that R'net would probably be worried that she had decided that she wanted to be with J'var, and slightly hopeful that she had. She loved the man, but he was a bit infuriating.

"I honestly don't know what the right answer is, J'var, I'm just hoping that by having done this, I've given us some time to try to figure it out." She hoped he caught the note that this was a temporary situation. She would choose R'net next time, and every time following.

"If the four of us can get along, can work together, can even find a new paradigm, then the rest of the weyr will follow. Everything about what we're doing here is new, different. And I don't know if it's the best compromise, but hopefully it buys us some time." How would she feel in R'net's position? Betrayed? Or in Laszreen's? She was not sure that she would not rather be in their shoes than her own.

"I hope I've not ruined anything, J'var. I really do."