Research

Writers: Devin, Sia
Date Posted: 1st April 2025

Characters: K'mai, E'kavas
Description: K'mai continues his research
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 3, day 11 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: Harki, T'gyrlan
Delayed because Sia forgot to send to the list

K'mai

E'kavas

K'mai hummed a tune as he made his way through the dining cavern, heading toward where Cyan usually sat, but out of the corner of his eye he saw E'kavas sitting alone and remembered he had important questions to ask him. He veered off his current path and headed for the brownrider instead.

"Mind if I join you?"

E'kavas looked up from his book; it was a rare evening that he didn't have the kids, Zariah, or G'zan underfoot, and the solitude had been welcoming if not a little off-putting. He smiled and set the book aside, waving K'mai over. "Of course. How's Cyan been holding up without me?"

"Don't worry, we haven't gotten too serious." K'mai laughed. "How are you? How are things in Azure?"

"Just fine, in spite of _some_ folks." E'kavas said dryly, expecting K'mai to know full well he meant Harki. "As long as y'all keep the little jokes focused on Cobalt. I could barely keep a straight face when T'gyrlan told me about their meeting room."

K'mai laughed. "I can say in full honesty I had _nothing_ to do with that, which I'm actually a little bit sad about."

"I'm sure you didn't." E'kavas said skeptically. "Though, I have to admit, it’s been entertaining watching T’gyrlan try to figure out how to reassert some dignity after that."

“A bit of harmless trouble is good for leadership. Can’t let you all be _too_ high and mighty all the time.” K’mai took a bite as he organized his thoughts.

"Oh sure, I'll remember that the next time Harki gets on my nerves." E'kavas said lightly. He watched K'mai as he ate. He suspected there was more on K'mai's mind than a few jokes, but he wasn't giving anything away. He was too deliberate in his charm. "I have three kids that keep me humble every day, never you mind."

Well, that was an opening K’mai could use. “All your kids are from Rivia, right? You and J’nico . . . shared her?”

E'kavas was glad he wasn't drinking anything. He cleared his throat anyway. "They're all Rivia's, yes. I haven't had any surprise greenflight babies yet," He did knock gently on the table, though, just in case the superstition helped. "It started that way, at first. But Rivia was playing matchmaker for me as much as she was herself, so it wasn't so much us sharing her as we were sharing each other."

K’mai’s eyes slowly widened, a little smile on his face. “So you do like men. Don’t worry, I’m not after you. Although . . .” The bluerider looked him up and down, then shook his head. “Anyway I’m conducting important research on how the stereotypes about brown and bronzerider sexuality aren’t as absolute as we’ve been told.”

"I do like men. I'm even seeing a bluerider these days." E'kavas said, "I'm not worried, it's just been a while since someone tried to figure out what our relationship is. Was." He winced. "I don't really have a preference. Or, I'm not really attracted to either. I'm a _romantic_."

K’mai tilted his head and then laughed. “We’re kind of opposites then. I’m attracted to all kinds, but I don’t feel romantic towards anyone.”

The relief was clear on E'kavas' face. "You understand, then. Or better than most folks. I don't dislike it but I don't really have a good gauge for how attractive someone is and it's not high on my list of date ideas. J'nico…took away a lot of pressure. We were better together when we weren't trying to be everything to each other. And having three of us was so much easier when the kids were little."

“I bet. I love Sabia but I couldn’t imagine taking care of her with just me and Uetia. That’s what foster parents are for,” K’mai said. “And I like the _idea_ of romance. I love seeing my friends fall in love and be happy. I like romantic stories. I just . . .” He shrugged. “It never happened for me and I don’t feel sad about it. I’ve had people tell me they feel _lonely_ just because they don’t have a romantic partner, even if they’re surrounded by family and friends they love. I never felt like that.”

"And there's nothing wrong with that, as long as you're happy." E'kavas said with a nod. "I used to get the opposite of that a lot."

“Exactly.” K’mai nodded. “I hope you’re happy too. Or that you will be, if you aren’t yet.”

E'kavas smiled, but the expression didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm all right." He said, "So, how do I fit into your 'research', then?"

“Well, you’re a brownrider who has romantic relationships with men, which we’ve always been told, and always assumed, can’t happen,” K’mai told him. “We should let the Candidates and weyrlings know they don’t have to feel . . . boxed in by stereotypes.” What would have I’serin’s life been like if this information had been widely known when he was young?

"Isn't that already happening?" E'kavas asked, "Slowly, maybe. But our weyrlingstaff seem to have a good handle on it. The curriculum has changed since you and I were in the barracks."

“Oh, that’s good.” Had M’thos taken his advice, or had the Weyrlingmaster Second already been working on that? “Maybe I should turn my attention to the adults, then.” K’mai chuckled. “I need to find a bronze or brownrider who likes men and _doesn’t_ mind attention so we can get the word out.”

E'kavas chucked, "Planning to give them a sign and stick them in the dining caverns? Hmm. For sheer numbers, it might be easier to find a greenrider that likes women. Of either gender."

K’mai laughed. “Shards, I might have my work cut out for me, huh?” Maybe he’d just happened to find all the shy, reserved, and quiet ones so far. Surely the next bronze or brownrider he found with some inclination toward men would be more outgoing.

"Not everyone is as shameless as you are." E'kavas teased, "Good luck finding someone that's comfortable shouting it from the Weyr heights. I do think perceptions are changing, though. I didn't know this about myself when I Impressed, but I was fourteen and we didn't have candidate classes the way we do now. And dragons were so rare- even at the Weyrhold, I only really knew a few dragonriders as a kid."

“Things are changing too slow.” K’mai laughed at his own impatience. “I need to push them along.”

"Don't push too hard." E'kavas said. "It has a way of coming back to bite you in the behind."

Last updated on the April 15th 2025

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