Fact Checking

Writers: Devin, Sia
Date Posted: 8th June 2025

Characters: E'kirim, K'mai
Description: K'mai runs into E'kirim at the summer lake
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 6, day 16 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: J'ler, M'thos, T'mhas, T'lonas Directly references "DFW: Bragging Bluerider"

K'mai

Chaos was happening at the summer lake.

"You started it!" E'kirim called out, laughing as his young bronze bobbed his head in the water and snorted an indignant spray of soapy water at him. Norrianth's light bronze hide was fresh and clean after an afternoon spent rolling in the cold muck from snow that melted by early afternoon. He was getting big now, in the midst of another growth spurt, and about the size of a small, albeit thick, blue.

He didn't reply in words, as usual, but E'kirim felt the bubble of delight roll through their bond: playful, affectionate, and more than a little smug.

"Fine, if you want to be like that." E'kirim warned. He scooped both hands through the water and flung a small spray of water at his dragon's chest. Norrianth responded by surging forward, turning just so that he could dip a wing under the water and use it to send a massive wave in his rider's direction, who yelped and ducked under. He surfaced sputtering and laughing, water dripping from his dark curls.

"That's cheating!"

Norrianth responded with a feeling of innocent mischief, and flicked his wing again to send a spray of water over E'kirim.

They spiralled into a watery skirmish, with E'kirim sending small little splashes and Norrianth responding with deluges just forceful enough to drench, and not intending to knock over.

At least, until another dragonpair arrived nearby. Norrianth crouched low in the water like a feline on the hunt, playfulness rolling off him in similar waves.

"No! Norri, don't you dare!" E'kirim chided and waded closer, intending to shove the bronze. "They're not here to play with you!"

K'mai grinned when he saw the rather beige-colored bronze. He'd been looking for an opportunity to speak with E'kirim, and here it was. He slipped off Sebeth's neck. "Bronzerider E'kirim, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm K'mai, and this is Sebeth."

The blue crooned a greeting to Norrianth.

Bronze hindquarters wriggled as Norrianth prepared to pounce. A sharp mental protest stopped him from accidentally catching K'mai in the crossfire; the bronze sidled sideways to hop forward and playfully bat at Sebeth's back foot.

E'kirim made it to about knee-deep in the water where he paused. The title still sounded strange, though he was indeed a bronzerider. It sounded more important than it was; he was just Norrianth's rider. "Pleased to meet you, K'mai. That giant wherry is Norrianth." He paused a moment, trying to remember which shoulder knots those were. "Oh, Cyan Wing? I guess J'ler has bragged a bit about me, huh? Or do all the wingriders memorize weyrling names?"

K'mai laughed. He'd been planning to ease into this more, but that was a perfect opening. "J'ler said you were his boyfriend."

Sebeth turned and used a hand to splash the young bronze.

E'kirim cocked his head in almost comical confusion. "He did, did he?"

"Was he lying? He told the entire Cyan table, and then he said you'd probably sleep with me too, if I asked." K'mai laughed again.

E'kirim froze mid-step. The laughter still clung to his throat, caught somewhere between incredulous and appalled. "Did he now?" He echoed.

Norrianth shifted to look back at him, the playfulness fading from their bond like mist burning away. A low thrum of protectiveness began to simmer in his chest. E'kirim shook his head, brushing away the bronze's concern. "Well, I doubt that. I don't know you from Faranth, and you look old enough to be my father."

Sebeth crooned to the weyrling. }:Mine is only talking to yours. There is no danger.:{

The bluerider snorted. "I had a feeling his mouth might be getting away from him. _Are_ you his boyfriend, though?" That was the important part.

Norrianth's hum did not quite become a rumble. }: Words are not teeth, but they bite. :{

E'kirim blinked at that, momentarily distracted and confused. It wasn't often that Norrianth spoke more than images and feelings, content to communicate innately through their bond. His mindvoice sounded so similar that it was still hard to tell if it was the dragon or if E'kirim had accidentally spoken aloud.

But he was right, wasn't he? E'kirim turned his attention again to K'mai. "I don't see how that's any of your business."

"Oh, uh, well . . ." K'mai rubbed the back of his neck. "I suppose it isn't, but if there are bronzeriders who like men, wouldn't it be good to talk about it? So that kids like you grow up knowing bronze isn't out of reach? Or that other bronzeriders don't feel like they're . . . alone or wrong or something?" K'mai couldn't change I'serin's past, but maybe he could make the bronzerider's future a little better, a little easier.

}:Mine does not mean to cause harm,:{ Sebeth told Norrianth. }:He is curious.:{

Norrianth huffed.

"I am a kid like me and my bronze is right here." E'kirim pointed out. "I didn't go into the hatching grounds thinking I couldn't get a bronze. I didn't want one-- sorry, buddy-- but I didn't think it was impossible. Norrianth sure as shells doesn't care. I thought the Weyr didn't care about that."

"Unfortunately, some people _do_ care. There are _stereotypes_," K'mai said the word with more heat than he'd meant to. "Sorry. I was never suited for bronze in any way, but most boys like us, even the weyrbred ones, don't think they can Impress bronze because they're attracted to other boys. Pretty much everyone thinks -- or assumes, I guess -- that bronzeriders only like women. But if you're dating J'ler, then that's not true. And there are others, but everyone is just so sharding _quiet_ about it."

E'kirim made a face. "Of course there are others. Why would dragons care about that, at all? I dunno about Sebeth, but Norri just thinks whatever I feel is normal because it's me, and of course it must be, because it's me." He blinked, momentarily confused at his own words and unable to express how the bronze innately trusted him-- his memory, his thoughts, everything he was and is- as immutable as Pern with no further consideration. "No one in my class cares, either, or they've kept it to themselves. I'm sorry if the people in your life made you think you couldn't do something, but mine certainly didn't."

"I'm glad you never had to deal with any of that," K'mai said sincerely. "At least some bronze dragons certainly don't care." Aluneth seemed very supportive of I'serin's relationship with K'mai. "_People_ are the problem, though. I want that to change. I want everyone's experience to be like yours, and not what . . . I grew up with."

"That sounds like a problem for parents and foster-parents. And the Weyrlingstaff, probably, though you can't tell me M'thos is the only one that likes men. Just look at T'lonas." E'kirim said.

That made K'mai snort a laugh before he sobered again. "Sorry, I shouldn't be bothering a weyrling about this. And I'm not suggesting you announce it in the Dining Cavern . . . though apparently that's your boyfriend's strategy. But just . . . don't hide who you are or who you're attracted to. The more people see bronzeriders like you, the more it will be . . . normal." Even T'mhas had balked at the idea of K'mai telling anyone about his relationship with M'thos. If M'thos's own _weyrmate_ still wanted to keep things quiet after all these Turns, K'mai didn't have faith in the Weyrlingstaff or anyone else changing the assumptions about bronzerider sexuality any time soon.

E'kirim made a face that was closer to confusion this time. "I'm not hiding anything. Look, you don't even know me. I"m not spreading wing gossip when I'm not even assigned to the wings yet. We have to go get ready for classes. C'mon Norri." He tapped his hip to Norrianth as if he was a pet, the bronze listened and followed him back to the shore.

K'mai heaved sigh. Pouncing on a holdbred weyrling and asking him to help change long-held beliefs wasn't the nicest or smartest thing to do. K'mai just lost his head a little where it came to I'serin. He'd need to apologize to E'kirim later and try to smooth things over.

Last updated on the June 10th 2025

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Fact Checking