Switching Partners

Writers: Halyonix, Devin
Date Posted: 23rd May 2025
Series: Bronze and Blue Entwined

Characters: Talryne, N'vanik, I'serin, K'mai
Description: N'vanik and I'serin swap partners. No, not like that.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 6, day 26 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: Saibra, Z'kim, T'mhas, N'kevyn, E'kirim
Immediately follows "Former Weyrmates"

Talryne

N'vanik

I'serin

K'mai

K'mai waited until they were out of earshot before he stepped up to
I'serin. "And I thought that dance was interesting."

I'serin nearly choked on his wine.

Recovering himself, he turned slightly to K'mai, his hazel eyes
glinting with equal parts amusement, exasperation, and...happiness? It
was hard to tell. "I did not think you were attending today," he said.

"Like I could resist a party." K'mai winked. If the healers found out,
he might get a scolding.

That was true. I'serin nodded his chin discreetly towards N'vanik and
Z'kim. "And what is your opinion of their...relationship?"

K'mai grinned. "He's number five." The way they'd danced had raised
K'mai's eyebrows, but the way they'd carried on -- in front of
I'serin! -- like they were weyrlings who'd just been released from
restriction . . .

I'serin's expression became confused. "Number five?" he echoed. He did
a quick calculation of what he thought K'mai was referencing --
himself, T'mhas, N'vanik -- but that was only three.

"Bronzeriders who sleep with men." K'mai frowned thoughtfully.
"N'kevyn was _very_ into me, but I'm not sure how much he likes men
outside of sharing one with his weyrmate. I'm not counting the
bronzeriders I shared a woman with who were very careful about how
much we touched."

I'serin choked on his wine. Again.

He really should begin waiting until _after_ K'mai had finished speaking.

"He was?" he sputtered softly, incredulously. He cleared
his throat and then remarked, "And here I thought you chose me because
of my...uniqueness."

K'mai looked at him with fond amusement. "Who chose who? Didn't _you_
come to _my_ weyr first?"

I'serin could not argue against that point.

"Fair," he replied, his voice low but his eyes glittering with
amusement. "Remind me never to drink that heavily again," he joked. He
was still standing far enough away from K'mai not to touch but at
least he was not panicking about the subject matter. So long as no one
got close enough to eavesdrop. "I still...am wrapping my head around this."

"Yeah, there's apparently a lot more bronzeriders screwing men than
either of us thought." Then he turned to I'serin with a wicked smile.
"I wonder if I could catch a third bronze."

This time he did not even need wine to be choking.

"Incorrigible flirt," I'serin hacked.

K'mai patted him on the back, grateful for an excuse to be touching
him. "I should ask N'vanik for a dance and see what happens." The idea
was rapidly becoming irresistible.

"You may test that desire at your own risk," I'serin replied after he
cleared his throat.

K'mai gave his back one last stealthy caress before removing his hand.
"At worst he'll turn me down. He can't possibly get upset after
dancing with a man like _that_." Shards that had been hot. "You know,
that could be us someday," he teased.

I'serin did not quite leash the instinctive panic at being so public
fast enough. He closed his eyes, trying _not_ to hurt K'mai with his
issues. When he opened his eyes, he managed a weak but brave smile. "A
goal to work towards. Though, please, not as...lascivious." I'serin
could not imagine himself dancing like that with _anyone_. It was
hugely uncharacteristic of him. But perhaps a slow dance with K'mai
one day...that was a goal he could work toward.

The bluerider smiled. "Much as I would love it, I don't think that's
ever going to be your kind of thing." He'd noticed the flash of panic
and the way I'serin had pushed it down. The fact that they were having
this conversation in public at all was a surprise. K'mai spoke low.
"We can save that for when we're alone."

The bronzerider cleared his throat partly in anticipation, partly in nerves.

"I should return to the Weyrwoman soon," he said. He shifted to drift
away but paused murmur, "Until later," over the rim of his wineglass
as he locked eyes with K'mai, certain that Sebeth and Aluneth would be
coordinating a rendezvous between them at some point.

K'mai smiled and licked the edge of his glass, as if catching an
errant drop. "Keep an eye on the dance floor." He headed off to find
the Dolphin Cove Weyrleader.

I'serin drifted through the festivities, carefully avoiding being
touched, scanning for Saibra. But someone else found him first. "Lady
Talryne," he greeted with a courtly bow.

She smiled in amusement at being called "lady" and curtsied.
"Weyrleader I'serin. Um, if you're looking for N'vanik he's . . ." She
glanced around.

A dragonlength away, K'mai caught up with his target. "Weyrleader
N'vanik. Would you take pity on a poor, injured bluerider and honor
him with a dance?" He held up his bandaged arm and gave the
bronzerider a pleading look.

N'vanik snorted. "You want a pity dance?"

"If it'll get me a dance with a handsome Weyrleader, I'll take it any
way I can get it." K'mai knew he was risking offense, but he was
feeling bold.

That got a laugh out of N'vanik, and he couldn't help liking this guy.
He'd been expecting at least a few men to try their luck. "Zeke has
special privileges. We've been friends for Turns."

K'mai deflated the tiniest bit. "Is that a no, then?"

"It means we'll be keepin' things nice and holder friendly." N'vanik
offered his arm.

The bluerider grinned and took N'vanik's arm with his left hand. There
was nothing holder friendly about two men dancing, but K'mai knew what
he meant. "Understood, Weyrleader." They headed to the dance floor.

I'serin, in the meanwhile, answered Talryne. "I have spoken with the
Weyrleader already, thank you. How are you?"

"I'm. . . really good, actually," Talryne smiled. "It hasn't been
easy, the last few months, but tonight I feel . . . alive."

He returned her smile. "Some days, that is all we can ask for."
Movement caught the corner of his eyes -- K'mai and N'vanik heading
out to the dancefloor. I'serin could politely excuse himself, drift
off to another engagement under the guise of being busy, but instead,
he decided to stomach social obligations for a little longer. "Would
you like to join me for a dance?"

She was a little surprised at the offer. "I'd be honored, Weyrleader."
She didn't dance often with people she didn't know, but she was in
high spirits, and from what little she knew of I'serin, he wasn't
going to try to feel her up or make rude comments.

Talryne walked with him to the dance floor and laughed when she caught
sight of N'vanik and K'mai. "He's _really_ trying to stir up gossip
tonight."

A slow song began and K'mai carefully set the hand of his injured arm
on N'vanik's shoulder, pain tugging at his healing wounds.

"Scoring?" N'vanik asked as he took the bluerider's other hand.

K'mai nodded. "Please don't tattle to the Dragonsfall healers. I
couldn't miss your Hatching."

"The Feast, you mean," N'vanik said with amusement as he set a hand on
K'mai's waist.

I'serin led Talryne out to the floor with the same polite manner that
he conducted himself in nearly all things. Wearing the mask of a
stereotypical bronzerider was easy in that regard. Safe. Expected. And
while he was not the most skilled of dancers (and certainly no dancer
like Z'kim), he made it worth her while with light conversation and
easy steps. "It is good to see him enjoying himself," I'serin said of
N'vanik to Talryne, looking over at the Weyrleader dancing with K'mai.
There was a small pang of wistfulness, a wish that some day I'serin
might gather the same sort of courage.

"What about you? Are you having a good time?" Talryne asked. There was
something a bit . . . distant about him. N'vanik had told her about
his conversations with his fellow Weyrleader so she knew I'serin was
uncertain in his new rank. Maybe it was more than leading 'Fall that
he was uncomfortable with.

"Hatchings are always a festive affair," he answered with warm
politeness. "A celebration not to be taken for granted."

"That's not a real answer." She smiled to soften the words.

"Sooo . . . you and that male greenrider. What's going on there?"
K'mai asked N'vanik as they swayed to the music. "That was quite a
show."

N'vanik chuckled. He wasn't the first and he wouldn't be the last to
ask that kind of question. That was part of the plan. Part of the
game. "You are bold, aren't you? Me and Zeke are old friends, and we
thought we'd stir up a little gossip."

"That might explain the dance, but that's not all that's going on, is
it?" K'mai studied him, looking for signs or hints.

Well, he wasn't easily put off. "I'm a Weyrleader. A bronzerider. You
know how we are."

"Do we, though? Maybe we're wrong about some things." K'mai knew he
probably shouldn't be pushing. It might cost him the rest of the dance
and make the Weyrleader angry. But maybe if another bronzerider,
another _Weyrleader_ could admit it out loud, it might make things
easier for I'serin.

N'vanik arched an eyebrow. This bluerider could think what he wanted,
he didn't mind that, but he still wasn't going to admit anything. "Are
you tryin' to see if I might be interested in you?" He laughed.
"Sorry, bluerider, no chance. But you have my permission to think
about me when you're in bed later tonight."

K'mai laughed in surprised delight. N'vanik was evading but at least
he was being fun about it.

I'serin was the Lord Holder of not providing real answers when it came
to his opinions and feelings. "I would not have asked you to dance if
I thought it would be an unpleasant experience," he said smoothly with
a courtly smile to match. It was not entirely untrue. There were
plenty of women that I'serin had danced with who thought that a dance
meant something more.

Talryne shook her head slightly with a small smile. "All right, then.
Do you know him?" She nodded toward K'mai. "He's got Dragonsfall
knots."

"He is one of mine, yes," I'serin answered. There was a skip of his
heart as he removed some of those words mentally to come up with a new
configuration of just three words that spoke volumes more. "I hope
that he does not cause N'vanik a headache. He is an incorrigible
flirt." The last was said with some true warmth.

Talryne noticed. "Are you friends, then?"

N'vanik and K'mai drifted closer, and K'mai spotted his lover dancing
with N'vanik's weyrmate. "I'serin! See, I told you he wouldn't be
mad." He grinned and winked.

"Did you make a bet?" N'vanik asked.

"No, he was just worried I'd upset you. But you know how to have fun."
K'mai realized how I'serin might take those words and guilt heated his
face. He glanced over at him. "Um, I mean, N'vanik knows a dance is
nothing serious." Wait, that wasn't much better.

I'serin was going to strangle him.

Aluneth decided at that point to intervene. }: Sebeth, tell your rider
to go easy on mine, :{ he rumbled softly, impressing upon the blue
dragon the reminder that all of this was still new to an easily
panicked I'serin.

Oh Faranth. K'mai felt even worse as Sebeth passed on the message. **I
didn't mean to. I'm sorry!**

As he was desperately searching for a way to recover, N'vanik asked,
"Aw, did he turn you down? Your poor Threadscored arm didn't work on
him?"

If K'mai acted strange or uncomfortable, it was just going to look
suspicious. "I'serin doesn't like to dance, but it looks like your
gorgeous weyrmate charmed him. I can hardly blame him. She looks
especially stunning tonight."

N'vanik's eyes softened as he looked over at Talryne. "She does."

}:Mine is very sorry. It was not intentional,:{ Sebeth told Aluneth.
}:He does not always think before he opens his mouth,:{ he said with a
mix of disapproval and fondness. }:And he has been drinking, which the
healers told him not to do.:{

**Don't tattle on me!**

"And a wonderful conversationalist," I'serin added, grateful that the
conversation turned to Talryne instead. "You are lucky, Weyrleader."

"Very lucky." N'vanik and Talryne looked at each other for a moment,
love written clear on their faces.

K'mai watched them with pang, wishing he could look at I'serin like
that in public. Wishing they could dance together. }:Mine says he
loves yours,:{ Sebeth told Aluneth.

}: I'serin cares deeply for K'mai. It is...an emotion I have not felt
from him before with anyone else, :{ Aluneth replied, pondering what
that meant but approving of how it made his rider feel.

The relayed words filled K'mai with a bittersweet ache and he fought
the urge to look at I'serin. He knew his love would be too obvious, so
he smiled at nothing. "I rarely feel jealousy, Weyrleader, but I must
say I envy you."

N'vanik turned back to him with a smile. "I'm sure there's someone out
there for you."

"I know there is," K'mai said warmly.

Last updated on the July 22nd 2025

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Switching Partners