Avoiding the Curse

Writers: Devin, Estelle
Date Posted: 27th September 2004

Characters: L'keri, K'mai
Description: L'keri and K'mai talk about relationships and lovely healers
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 2, day 8 of Turn 3

L'keri

K'mai

Standing behind an old friend of his in the queue for dinner and listening
to him flirting with first the rather attractive greenrider in front of them
and then the curvaeceous young woman serving the food, L'keri could only
watch wistfully and remember the days when he too had been a notorious
flirt. Not that he didn't still like to try his charm when unobserved, but
now he had a weyrmate, those careless and carefree days were past.

"I almost envy you, K'mai," he sighed as they walked together to one of the
dining tables. "Much as I love Ariadne, I'm still not immune to the other
beautiful women of this Weyr!"

"You should envy me. I'm better looking." K'mai said with a grin. Then he
shook his head, "I still can't believe you're weyrmated. The idea of
settling down . . ." He gave an exaggerated shudder.

"It has its up sides. Like waking up next to a lovely woman every morning."
L'keri thought of how his weyrmate looked asleep, her blonde hair tangled
and her skin warm against his own. "And it seems that all the people who
protest the most about settling down any time soon suddenly end up with a
devoted weyrmate and a family...well, save R'han, of course."

K'mai laughed. "R'han is invincible." He took a bite of roast wherry. "I
should stop protesting, in case the curse catches me as well!" A family
might not be bad - someday. K'mai considered himself far too young and virile
to settle down any time soon.

"You can't hide from it," L'keri's voice dropped low and mysterious. "One
moment you're unattached and the darling of all the women of the Lower
Caverns, and the next you're spending your free afternoons trailing round
the storerooms with your mate looking for new tapestries for your weyr. Love
strikes without warning!"

"Hey, quit scaring me!" K'mai said, smiling, "Now I'll have nightmares about
domestic shopping."

"Hah...I could tell you worse things." He was hard put to think of any,
though. It was a curious situation - he was delighted beyond all measure
that Ariadne was his weyrmate, and yet he couldn't help feeling a
certain...nostalgia for his old ways. "You could always get yourself a
lovely healer like me. I heard the Weyrhealer speaking very favourably about
the merits of having a charming brownrider or two in the Infirmary to liven
up her shift."

"Oh really? If she wants lively, she should be looking for blueriders!"
K'mai gave a sly smile. "Maybe I should have myself a small 'accident' so I can
be subject to her tender ministrations."

"The healers usually find out," L'keri warned, having used that tactic
himself on certain occasions in the past. "But if you're sufficiently
flattering, they can be quite forgiving."

"Then I will be sure to use my best charm. I would hate for a woman to think
of me as insufficient!" K'mai said.

"I've never heard any woman of this Weyr describing you as...insufficient,
K'mai," L'keri drawled, grinning. "You should try out my suggestion. After
all, we wouldn't want the bronzeriders to think they have the ladies of the
infirmary to themselves, would we?"

"Of course not! And since you've already done your part, I think it's time
to do mine." K'mai laughed. "I think our dear Weyrhealer will be enjoying my
company soon."

"I'm always happy to offer a bit of advice, even if I can't take it myself,"
L'keri replied ruefully. "And I'm sure the Weyrhealer will appreciate it!"

Last updated on the June 3rd 2025

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Avoiding the Curse