(10.10.2761) GRADUATION! (BSGs, AWLMs, Wingleaders, all!)

[Rachel]

The morning was cool, the air holding the crisp, refreshing calm of a Southern winter. There was a riot of color and crowd about the Weyrling barracks, a small platform erected for the ceremony of the occasion and neat lines of chairs set up to seat some of the spectators, though many had just accommodated themselves with standing room. In front of the platform in a neat row were lined the Bold Sky Guardians Weyrling Class, each of whom had their own thoughts going through their minds, and their own feelings about what was about to happen. But in one thing they were universal: today, they were graduating. They were becoming Dragonriders of Pern.

The first of those on the platform stepped forward – Weyrlingmaster I'zaj. As always, the intent hunch of his brow cast a phantom scowl over his face, but his grin was wide and proud as he looked over the line of the fifteen young men and women whom he had taught and trained over the past Turn and a half. The chatter among the family and friends - and the simply curious - who'd come to watch died down as the Weyrlingmaster's lean posture straightened and he took his breath to speak.

"Bold Sky Guardians ... we have gotten to know each other well during your Weyrlinghood. I have watched you and your dragons grow, learn, and drill ... and for the past four months, I have watched you fight. Since the beginning, I have always tried to help you - whether you have liked it at the time or not, my foremost concern has always been helping you to become better riders. Our duty is not a light one, and we would not send you to it unprepared. But today ... today, you no longer need me, and that is the greatest reward that I can ask for. Today, you *are* prepared. Bold Sky Guardians... today, you are Dragonriders of Pern."

Hopefully, they'd quit dying off.

The applause roared - literally, in the cases of a few of the more excitable dragons present, and I'zaj's grin split his face (an odd sight, but it's the thought that counts) as he waited for it to die down. "As I call your name, come up and receive your new knots from your Wingleader." The Wingleaders were the other four on the platform - R'ao, S'bril, G'ral, and B'trin.

"Goldrider Remiel is promoted to the Queens' Wing!
Bronzerider Yo'ra is promoted to the White Squall Wing!
Bronzerider Le'car is promoted to the Mistral Tempest Wing!

Brownrider K'than is promoted to the Boundless Horizon Wing!

Brownrider L'ieo is promoted to the Diamond Sea Wing!
Brownrider S'van is promoted to the Diamond Sea Wing!
Bluerider Parisa is promoted to the Mistral Tempest Wing!

Bluerider S'mer is promoted to the Boundless Horizon Wing!
Bluerider Xi'ca is promoted to the Boundless Horizon Wing!
Greenrider Al'car is promoted to the Boundless Horizon Wing!
Greenrider Maren is promoted to the White Squall Wing!"

OOC: Anyone can tag their respective Wingleader for more personal interaction. Congratulations on graduating! ^_^

[Collin 'Ridayah' O'Connor]

It was a happy day.  For most people and dragons.

For one girl, it was just a continuation of a nightmare.  Each name brought a stab to her heart.  Each knot given, a knot gained in her stomach.  It wasn't fair.  It wasn't right.  But they'd have to watch themselves...  Mirene would make sure they would.  She watched as each of them took their knot and their rightful place amongst the wings.  When I'zaj had stepped down from giving everything out she strode right on up towards the weyrlings.  Dirty, disheveled, and still bearing the marks of her early morning 'adventures', she stopped in front of them.  She waited a single moment before whispering the word, "Melt."

"Melt."

"MELT."

"MELT!"

The last repetition was screamed, and with the shrieking of her vocal cords the dragonless girl's resolve broke, and she turned to run away through the crowd.

OOC: DRIVE BY MIRENE.  Feel free to stop her if you want... if you dare. ;)

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[Allison Herzig]

J'rak had shown up to the graduation wearing almost respectable clothes, found himself a seat in the back and settled in to listen to the happiest speech of his life.  The BSGs were the wingleaders' problem now.  No more deaths, no more daily reminders of tragedy.  He'd never thought he could be so relieved to see a class leave, let alone his first full clutch at Eastern, but he'd be glad to have the weyrling wing once more weyrling free, to be able to fly fall without worrying about who wouldn't be coming back.  At least for a few months...Until the next clutch joined them.

But they'd done it.  They'd made it through, or most of them had, and they were moving up, full dragon riders of Pern.  Remiel could be a weyrwoman day, and Le'car or Yo'ra might make wingleader.  Perhaps they'd even see a few of them back in the weyrling barracks in a few turns.  J'rak snorted at the thought.  The BSGs had been nothing but trouble, from day one, let the fretting put a few grey hairs on one of their heads.

((J'rak...what's that?)) A small dirty figure had crept towards the front.  A mere instant later, she started screaming, a moment after that J'rak was on his feet, striding towards her.  This was I'zaj's show.  He could take out the trash.

He stopped short as he recognized the face.  He'd taken the girl for a holder come to protest the tithes, or a weyrbrat playing a joke, but it was one of his weyrlings.  All that remained of one, at any rate.  Gently taking her arm, he murmured, "Come, Mirene, let's get you out of here."  He looked around furtively for one of the Healers.  J'rak's training hadn't covered what was done with the dragonless.  He assumed she had caretakers, but where they were, and how she'd slipped past them, was beyond him.

[Aaron C.]

  Remiel stepped forward, and she looked... troubled at best. Mirene's words could never hit her as hard as the weyrlingmaster's words had hit her. But... she still had to say what she had to say. She looked to I'zaj and winced as she said, "Sir, if I may say something..." And she did not wait long before she continued,

  "Today, we take on new names. White Squall, Queen's Wing, all the rest. But... I do not lay down the name, Bold Sky Guardian. I... I keep it to remember. Because there are those whose names we should not forget. Today, we..." She trembled. This was not something she was comfortable with. Or anything she felt she was good at. "Today, we remember:"

   "B'rar and Bronze Gaiuth."

   "Weiyan and Green Tarbuth."

   "..."

   "Green Ixith..." She turned her gaze toward where Mirene had gone.

   "I ask you to remember with us. You... you all know what tragedy is. It is... something of a weyr's business, dealing in tragedy. Please, as we join you, I ask that you, too, will share your tragedies with us that... that we might remember them with you, too. And... and we will fight... as we have been trained to fight, with you and for you. Th-thank you..." She blushed very deeply and then moved on.

(If there were others that I missed, please consider that Remiel said their names. She's been keeping a super close tally on them, and she definitely wouldn't have forgotten a single one of them.)