Just Roommates Or...

Writers: Devin, Sia
Date Posted: 30th November 2024

Characters: K'mai, M'thos
Description: K'mai has important questions about the nature of M'thos and T'mhas's relationship.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 2, day 3 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: I'serin, T'mhas, E'kavas, K'yne

K'mai

M'thos

When he first moved to Dragonsfall, K'mai had been surprised to learn there was a bronzerider sharing a weyr with a male greenrider. It wasn't exactly unheard of -- dragons had their own minds and sometimes a bonded pair wanted to share a weyr and pushed their riders to agree -- but it was unusual. Even more unusual was that they were raising children together, during a Pass no less.

But K'mai had simply accepted what he'd been told. They were friends, had been weyrlings together, their dragons were mated, they both wanted to keep their children close. Because of course everyone knew bronzeriders didn't like men. Just like everyone knew blues didn't Impress to girls.

A lot of impossible things had been happening lately, and now that K'mai knew that I'serin very definitely did like men, he had questions about what exactly was going on with M'thos and T'mhas. So when he spotted M'thos in the dining cavern, he pounced.

"M'thos, how are you? How are the weyrlings?"

M'thos grinned and waved K'mai over. He didn't know the other man well, aside from a greenflight or two and crashing a few Cyan parties, but he was always a great time. "Doing well! They're almost done. We won't have much overlap with Weyrling Classes this time around. How are you? Cyan Wing behaving themselves?"

"As much as we always do." K'mai laughed as he slid into a seat. "Hope it's not rude, but I've been curious about you and T'mhas. Raising kids with a bronzerider . . . that seems like a punishment but apparently you're doing it voluntarily."

M'thos raised his eyebrows in surprise. He hadn't gotten that question in a while. "It's easier now with all but one out of the weyr," He said dryly, "but yes, it was touch and go for us for a while there. I don't recommend getting outnumbered in your own home."

"I'll keep that in mind." K'mai tried to figure out his next approach. "But it seems to have worked out for you. I was weyrmated once, briefly. It was kind of a disaster and lost me a friend for Turns because weren't really compatible. I heard you and T'mhas were weyrlings together. Were you always close?"

"I'm sorry to hear that. And yeah, we've always been pretty close. We got attached pretty quickly when he transferred to Dragonsfall, and then we were lucky enough to Impress together. And that Fianwyth and Ghraisath are as calm as they are." M'thos gave K'mai a curious look. "You got something you're dancing around, buddy? My teenagers have started to ask leading questions like that when they're building up to what they really want."

K'mai laughed. "I should have known better when talking to a Weyrlingmaster with kids of his own. I've just been wondering . . . well, we live with lots of assumptions, don't we? And maybe some of them are wrong."

"Sure." M'thos said easily. "And some sort of assumption around T'mhas and I, yes? I've heard a lot of those over the turns; which one is on your mind?"

Time to plunge on, then. "_Is_ there something more between you? Bronzeriders aren't supposed to want men at all outside the flightroom, but maybe some _do_. Blues weren't supposed to Impress girls, but then there was Kadira and now there's more."

"Oh, of course. We've been sort-of an open secret around here for a while, I forget that it's new to you River Bluff folks." M'thos said with a laugh. "It took us a while to figure out, too. T'mhas was Searched, and then he Impressed bronze and I thought well, maybe whatever between us it was just him acclimating to being _inconvenienced_ once in a while. And then once we had it somewhat figured out we requested a roommates weyr under the guise of our dragons being bonded, but...we've never actually used that second room as anything but a space for the kids when we have them."

K'mai clenched his fists and barely managed to keep from pounding the table. He didn't want to draw the attention of the whole dining cavern. Instead he pumped his fists in the air, eyes wide with delight. "I knew it!"

K'mai did, however, draw the attention of the people nearby, and M'thos' laugh was infectious. "I'm glad you feel that way. I'm too old to keep coming out." He joked, "We gave up the attempt at subtlety when the kids started calling us both 'Dad', though I don't think anyone that knew us was surprised. We didn't make any kind of grand announcement, but there weren't many that tried to make our business their business."

The bluerider turned serious. He couldn't talk about I'serin and he didn't want to bring up the clumsy 'I know someone' line, but there was another issue he could address. "I wouldn't want to push you or T'mhas into anything but . . . have you thought about having him talk to the Candidates? I don't know what makes a dragon choose who they do, but it's all about our minds, isn't it? And if boys with our inclinations believe a bronze will never look their way . . . maybe that's why it almost never happens?"

"You should talk to T'mhas yourself before you try putting him in front of any candidates." M'thos said with all the fondness of a man that had been weyrmated for nearly two decades. "And consider we have four kids in those barracks right now. As entertaining as it would be, no one would come out of that unscathed. Either way, I think it happens more than anyone else lets on, in either direction. I didn't think Impressing Fianwyth was an inevitability, and half the fun of going on Search is confusing the holders having a certain expectation of greenriders."

"That too. If some kid Impresses bronze he might think he has to be a certain way. Even weyrbrats get that idea because it's all we've ever seen, really." Of course K'mai was thinking of a particular bronzerider, but the statement was general enough that he didn't think M'thos would make any connection. "If a few bronzeriders can like men, then brownriders probably can too. And maybe a green might be desperate for a lifemate who's otherwise a perfect match, but doesn't like men at all."

"Oh, absolutely brownriders too. I probably shouldn't name drop, but Wingsecond E'kavas' oldest is a candidate and he's talked about having two Dads." M'thos answered. "And there's definitely green and blueriders that don't like men. We can't be the full majority of the fighting wings, when you look at the numbers. I don't think any newly-hatched dragonets are thinking about that when they look to Impress. That's all on us."

"Then why doesn't anyone _talk_ about it?" K'mai wondered how he could have missed something like this for so long. Yes, E'kavas had been weyrmated to a bluerider, but everyone assumed that was a compromise to share Rivia. "My whole life I was told I could only hope for blue, maybe green. Which is fine for _me_, I never had any desire for leadership, but others do."

M'thos considered for a moment, but all he could really do was shrug. "Your guess is as good as mine. Old ideas are hard to change. If it makes you feel any better at all, I think K'yne is the only one on the straight and narrow. We're not talking like that in the candidate or weyrling barracks."

"People should know, though. It messes with your head when you think you have to be a certain way. Just like those poor holdbred boys who tie themselves in knots because they think it's wrong to be attracted to other boys." K'mai couldn't fix the holds, but he could try to fix _this_.

"Do _you_ want to talk to the weyrlings?" M'thos asked, only a little teasing. "I'm supposed to be bringing in some guest lecturers anyway. And it's not just confused holdbred boys-- there's boys that just like girls on green too, y'know. There's one kid in Aglayath's last clutch that was determined he _couldn't_ Impress a green because he had a girl back home."

"We always thought those kids were faking it real hard, or one of those greenriders who liked both and just didn't realize it yet." K'mai shrugged. "But really, no one's going to listen to me as much as they would a bronzerider who gets up and tells them he's attracted to men."

"I'll get T'mhas to consider it." M'thos said, "But I want you to think about it too. It takes all kinds. Sometimes it's enough to see people thriving, despite the Threadfall and the _greenflights_."

K'mai nodded. "If you think it'll help."

"It can't hurt. Do you want to come talk to T'mhas, too? He's a simple man. Ply him with food and drink and he'll tell you anything you want." M'thos said fondly. "He's got a bad poker face, too, so if you play your cards right you might even win a few marks for your trouble."

"I'd love to talk to him." K'mai already had at least a dozen questions he wanted to ask. "I could visit you both, or you could come to my weyr?"

"You're welcome anytime, as long as you don't mind a bit of a mess." M'thos looked up, just realizing the time, "I have to get back, but I'll check with Tam and let Sebeth know when we're both free next."

Last updated on the December 10th 2024

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