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Graduation Day


Date:  October 18, 2004
Place:  Telgar Weyr Lake Shore
Game:  PernMUSH
Copyright Info:  The World of Pern is copyright(c) to Anne McCaffrey 
l967. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is a registered copyright.

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Kassi's Note:  This log doesn't start off with the Weyrling graduation,
so if that's what you're here for you may wish to scroll down a bit.
Instead it begins with the descent of a proddy Kassi on the Lake Shore,
where poor Lanisa is just minding her own business.  Conversation and
knife-throwing ensue, and then sometime later the other Weyrlings and
Weyrlingmasters begin to join them and get the festivities started.
Congratulations to the ex-Icemelt types:  this was a wonderful Weyrling
class, and it was a pleasure and privelege to be involved with it. :)

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The Log:

You fly downwards toward the lake shore.

<*> Lanisa and Tisiath are both along the shoreline as the blue stays on
one side, in the shallows, and Lani on the other, in the sand. Her hands
are in her pockets as she shakes her head at the blue, "Your the one that
wanted to swim. Not me."

<*> Lysseth makes no graceful descent. Not today. Her course for the Lake
is swooping and pell-mell, and her bank to slow her speed abrupt and
jarring; she lands without unseating her rider or dislocating any of that
rider's bones, but that may be chance rather than active design.
"...Sometimes," Kassi informs her dragon flatly without moving from place,
"I really do think you'd be better in the form of a set of leathers."
Lysseth growls; Kassi ignores this, and twists about to unbuckle what she's
brought with her--a couple of bales of straw, by the look of it--and sends
them tumbling to the ground with an ungentle shove. If she notices they've
company, it's not apparent, but her dragon certainly does. Tisiath gets a
glower.

You slide off of Lysseth's neck to land beside her easily. She rumbles,
cocking her head down at you, and you rub her eyeridges gratefully.


Kassima:
	Ah, autumn, that lovely time of Turn when everything is dying and a
woman's thoughts turn towards homicidal mayhem. It may not be fair to blame
Kassima on the season, though; it's another sort of season entirely that's
put her in the frame of mind to dress this way, and anyone familiar with
her will have no trouble guessing the real cause.
	That her costume of choice is black almost goes without saying, but 
it's taken an unusual form this time: a floor-sweeping, figure-hugging 
dress of ink black sisal, trimmed at its hems and expansive, draping cuffs 
with lace of the same dark shade. The creamy curves of her shoulders are 
left bare... as is plenty other pale skin, since to call the gown low-cut 
would be an understatement and the soft, sooty fur that edges the neckline 
doesn't go much farther towards promoting modesty. It's probably only the 
exceedingly tight-laced leather corset worn over the cloth that keeps it 
in place at all. Ropes of beads, onyx and amethyst, circle her throat.
	More beads make an appearance in her hair. The blue-black mass has 
been woven into a handful of long, slender braids; they hang together down 
her back, depending from a topknot that has been skewered by two long 
hairpins of onyx, two of jade. The ends of the braids are beaded in black 
and clatter softly when she moves. As outfits go, it's as peculiar--and, 
with Kassima, as much a warning sign--as the way stress has drawn the skin 
over her features taut, or the unfriendliness present in her dark green 
eyes. She's not wearing any knots or insignia, but it's probably not hard 
to guess what color of dragon she rides.

Lysseth:
	Dusty, dusky pine hide wraps over this dragon's extraordinarily 
slender frame; it sleekly stretches over long bone, defines muscle, 
while providing a fine complement for the polished curve of claws and 
teeth. Her shady color is at its darkest along the charcoal-shaded edges 
of long wings. Though one might almost be tempted to try and wipe away the 
'dust' to glimpse the pure, deep green that must surely lie underneath, it 
wouldn't be a good idea to do so; Lysseth is not a creature to suffer a 
strange touch lightly, and would make her displeasure known to any who 
dared come too close. Better, far better, to admire her gleaming and 
healthy--and markedly luminescent--hide from a far, far distance.
	Should one catch her in motion, it would be clear that Lysseth has 
shed the awkwardness of callow youth in favor of the lithe and supple 
finesse of a fully adult green... on the ground, anyway. She indulges a 
fondness for sharp and lightning-swift action in the air, ensuring that 
any passengers would have to pay for the benefit of her uncanny speed with 
less comfort than another dragon might afford them.
	Lysseth's sparkling gaze turns upon you as she senses your 
attentions, and she gives you a hostile glance with burning crimson eyes 
before dismissing you from her thoughts.

	Lysseth and Kassima have been together for longer than either would 
likely admit. She is 25 meters long, and has a wingspan of 41.67 meters.


Tisiath watches it all in silence. Hey, he can pretend to ignore what his
rider was saying this way. Lani watches, one brow lifting as she watches
the greens decent and the other as she watches the growling. She tempts
fate with a salute, but not too much as she greets with, "Afternoon,
Kassi." Not 'good' afternoon? Well, she did the polite thing, right? Maybe
or maybe not the -wise- thing.

Kassima's descent is rather more controlled than that of the straw bales.
The sisal of her skirt hisses against Lysseth's hide on the way down,
something which would seem to offend the rather unusually-colored green
since she dance-sidles away from her lifemate the moment she gets a chance.
"Lodge it widthwise up your tailfork," Kassi invites the dragon. "--Oh. The
Lake's occupied. I should have known." She sighs slightly, but returns the
salute formally enough. Very formally, in fact. "I trust you won't mind too
terribly much if'n I practice with m'knives here? I don't even intend
t'kill aught beyond a straw bale today, amazingly enough."

"I'd hardly complain about the death of a bale of straw." Lanisa's amused,
at least a little, and yet wary too, "Sooo. Guess I don't need to ask, but
how are you, Kassi? I like the dress. And hey, you know. If were in the
way, I could always try and convince his blueness to bathe somewhere
else..." Tisiath offers a rumpling croon. Maybe he thinks he can cheer up
Lysseth. Or he's a blue with a death wish. Who can be sure? Either way,
Lani rolls her eyes as she glances at her lifemate. "Trying to be helpful,
I see..."

"Good." Kassi kicks the straw bales a bit apart, then bends to take hold of
the string binding each. Which probably tests the integrity of her dress
severely, given givens, but it manages to stay in place. Somewhere, T'van
pouts. "Miserable, wretched, frustrated, angry, irritable, irate, the whole
works. You know the drill," she mutters, hauling these bales to the spot
she's evidently chosen for them. "If'n I *did* kill something I might feel
better, but I thought 'twould try t'avoid it. In the spirit of graduation
today. Never say I never did aught for you. Don't bother; just don't taunt
me and you can live." Well, that's generous. Lysseth's response is
decidedly less of a croon and more of a snarl, albeit a subdued snarl,
given as she sets to making the ground around her fit to be graced by her
incomparable self. That mostly involves raking long furrows in it with her
claws, like a cat with someone's leg.

"Wouldn't dream of taunting." Lani assures, but she's not above taking a
front row seat, so to speak. Even if it's one out of the line of fire,
"Well I thank you for the graduation gift then. It's most generous of you
to hold off on killing more than straw." Especially since that's already
dead, but why go there? "Maybe there will be something handy to kill
tomorrow then? If not today?" A tree, maybe? And Tisiath? Well his not one
to retreat just yet, but at least he has two braincells to rub together and
reach the conclusion that it's better to just shut up, right there. While
he's still ahead -- As in, not maimed.

Kassima sets one bale atop another, the bottom bale perched horizontally
and the top one vertically so that a decent height is achieved. "Aye, well,
you'd just better nay be expecting any *other* gifts from me. I'm nay in
the mood t'shower everyone with flowers and jewels and festive things
today. Everyone can in fact go get bent for all I care, but I don't plan
t'actually say that at the ceremony." There could be a hint of very dry and
deadpan humor there, but it's difficult to tell. She returns to her
dragon--who gets a sock on the shoulder when she tries to edge away again,
claws cutting deeper into the ground--to remove a last bundle, a roll of
leather in which metallic glints gleam. "Probably. Probably fish. Probably
tunnelsnakes. Unless you've any better suggestions?" This appears to please
Lysseth somewhat since she ceases to mutilate the ground and sinks into a
sullen crouch.

"Can't say as I'm expecting anything from anyone. You know, not all
specific like. I know there's gifts and such, just I'm not to worried about
it." Probably a safe way to go. Besides, Lani's maybe still being the good
example, maybe. "Da probably would appreciate that, aye. Not saying so
then." As for herself, she does look a little amused at the thought, "Would
be memorable thing to have happen though." The young bluerider watches the
rest and then makes a show of considering, "Those would work, I'd think.
Those, or a particularly annoying wherry, mayhap." Just a suggestion?

Kassima mutters, stooping to unroll the hide upon the ground and reveal the
array of thin-bladed throwing knives tucked inside, "Rings. There's always
bloody rings. And *far* be it from me t'risk offending your father," with a
roll of her eyes as if worrying about such is the silliest thing she ever
heard of. A pair of knives are selected, and she tests their balance almost
unthinkingly before taking one long step back and throwing the first. It
doesn't hit dead center. It hits closer to the upper left corner. But by
her narrowed eyes and satisfied nod, that's what she wanted. "I'd *like*
t'gut a wherry, only the last time I did that they had hysterics. Mayhaps I
will anyway. I deserve it, don't you think? For behaving m'self today?"

"Oh. I doubt he'd be offended. Just you know, appreciate that it kept til
after." Lani nods though, "Aye, I remember that there were always rings at
any rate." She watches the throw, but only casually marks where it lands.
She's picking up pointers on form and style all stealthy like. "I would
think you'd deserve it, to be sure. For behaving and all."

It's a good time to pick up pointers: Kassi's form and style are unusually
polished, and whatever proddiness is doing to her head, it doesn't seem to
have hurt her aim in the slightest. The second knife hits the bale directly
below the first, so close that their edges nearly touch. The next two she
acquires and throws--thump! Thump!--continue the line, as does the fifth.
"If'n they forget t'give you rings," she suggests, "pike out their eyeballs
and eat them." Yeah, there's some useful advice right there. "I don't care
much what he'd appreciate either, but I vaguely recall that usually I
*might* care, and might even care for some reason about you Weyrlings'
better sensibilities, so don't worry. That is *exactly* what I think. I may
treat m'self tomorrow. Mind, since they *bar* me from the fragging
kitchens, 'twill have t'butcher it out here or the like, nay doubt."

"Easier to clean up out here." Lani notes of the last first, and all the
while nodding in appreciation of each toss. "Wish I was that accurate."
She'll confide before she grins, "Not too into eating eyes though, but
maybe Tisiath would prefer them." Certainly she's not too phased,
considering, "Eh, well. He'll survive either way, but I'm not worried. Like
I said. It'll be memorable either way."

Kassima agrees, pragmatic if nothing else, "Aye, but then I'm obliged t'do
the cleanup. Whereas if'n I could use the kitchens, 'twould be someone
else's mess to deal with." Gee, whyever would they have banned her?
"Practice long enough and you might be. Took some practice a'fore I could
do it even with *her* clamoring in m'head. A'course," all said while a
sixth knife thunks, this time closer to the upper right corner, "imagining
the bale as someone vastly irritating helps too. If'n only it could bleed.
Think you so?"

"Let the firelizards do the clean up work. There are enough of them to
appreciate it, I'd think." No, Lani doesn't question way, not at all, "I'll
do that. Keep practicing that is. I'll be glad to pick up the things I left
in storage soon." In storage. Nice way of saying cluttering up her parent's
weyrs? "I'm sure that takes extra talent, aye. And imaging the blood helps?
I'll remember that." For the last she nods, agreeing simply with, "Sure."

"The fire-lizards," Kassima announces with distaste, "are by and large
inclined to *avoid* me and Lysseth just now. For some strange, unknowable
reason. Quixote's the only one here with the jewels t'stay." Though the
little blue doesn't perch on his mistress's shoulder. No cloth there to
protect it, after all. He's sticking with Lysseth, occasionally cheeping or
crooning to her and being utterly ignored. Kassi's not out of daggers yet:
two more enter the straw bale at an angle, forming a diagonal line with the
sixth that touches the earlier vertical line right in the middle. Her next
throw lands a knife almost exactly midway through the angle formed by the
two lines, barely missing touching both. "A'course it does. Think about it.
Red blood, spurting and gushing; the straw bale screaming, high-pitched and
shrill... mayhaps in the voice of T'van... you can see the glory in it,
surely?"

"Really? I wouldn't have thought it'd bother them much. But then, I suppose
it could. Well, maybe they would clean up after you stepped away then?"
Lani eyes the little blue and gives a light grin, then glances to her own
blue before looking back, "Impressive." She murmurs over the tosses and
then she grins a little "T'van, hmm. Now that I can see. Or how about of
Roberta? Wouldn't that work too?" No, she's not got as set annoyance or
anything herself.

Kassima's agreement is rather sour: "Probably they would, the little
cowards. I don't even yell *that* loudly compared t'some--" The final two
knives are flicked from her hand almost carelessly, completing the pattern:
a large, steely K, well-proportioned, in the heart of the bale. Eat your
heart out, Zorro. "Everyone would know who killed him with that," she
observes wistfully. "Everyone... Roberta? Aye, you can envision Roberta.
But mayhaps you should do an L, for her, lest people mistake whose revenge
has triumphed."

"I'm sure they'll get over it." Easy for Lani to say, right? "They
certainly would. No one could deny who did the trick when they saw that.
But yeah. I think I'll work on making an L first. Wouldn't want to have
people confuse our handiwork or victims when I get better wit my tosses."

Sighing, Kassi allows, "They always do. Eventually. They've had time enough
t'know when 'tis safe." She takes some care when she closes the distance
between her and the target to pull the knives out one by one, less for the
straw than to make sure the knives don't scratch each other held thus en
masse. "I'm feeling something remotely approaching magnanimous. Also,
bored. D'you want t'try for an L? I could loan you the knives, although
if'n you damage one 'twill plant it where M'tri would be most displeased to
find it."

Lanisa considers a moment, and then gets to her feet. "It's been a bit
since I've practiced. Maybe first see if my aim is anywhere close to what
it was? It's been hard to do more than sneak a throw or two now and again.
I'd hate to risk damage by trying for an L first." She gives a smile, "I
certainly wouldn't want to cause you to do the latter." Adding last,
"Thanks." Probably for the offer.

Kassima picked up the mostly-emptied leather roll on her way to the bales,
and draped it over her arm. Now she slides the knives carefully back into
their places before setting herself in struggle against the straw again,
this time to turn it around so the undamaged side faces whereabouts they've
been standing. "Fine, fine," she says, irritably but not so beyond her
current default. "Here," and she tosses the bundle of leather and steel to
the Weyrling. Woe betide her should she not catch. "Throw as you like;
whatever suits. I reserve the right t'take 'em back at any time, though."

Lanisa catches, oh yes. So her own death is delayed at least that long.
"Alright. And thanks." She takes a little time to marvel at the knives
before she selects a pair out to begin with. The others set carefully
nearby as she steps into place. And with another look at Kassima, maybe a
last check to see if she really can, she tests the weight of the knife and
makes her first throw. It doesn't land in the center, though that might
well be where she was aiming. It's too high and a bit to the right. Her
form not really flawless, but either she's practiced a bit more than she's
said, or she was lucky, or both. She shifts her stance, before throwing the
second. This one landing at a bit of an poind down angle, but still solidly
in the straw, and closer to the mark, if off in the opposite manner.

Kassima scans the area as if for a place to sit, but her clothing isn't
really up for perching on rocks in, and she abandons the thought in favor
of folding her arms with a sigh. Her nod to Lanisa is vaguely impatient,
but permissive. There's no particular warmth in her eyes as she watches;
they're distant, a bit grim, not yet too bloodshot. But she grudgingly
approves, "Decent. So far. I've seen worse." High praise, at the moment.

High enough that it makes Lani a bit nervous, and the first if the next
pair selected knives goes a fair bit wider than the second. Barely sinking
into the bale, along the left side. She closes her eyes after it strikes,
sinks in and then takes a steadying breath before aiming at the upper left
corner and landing it, more squarely on the bale, a few inches in and
another one or so down from the outer edge. This one gets a small nod and
then Lani peeks at Kassi again before finding another set.

"That nearly missed the straw," Kassi says, voice very, very flat with her
displeasure. "It might have flown off t'strike who knows what." She doesn't
demand the blades back, however, at least not yet; she gestures the
Weyrling to continue, while considering both of these new strikes with a
thinned mouth.

Lanisa nods, fidgets, says softly to herself as much to Kassi, "I'll be
more casreful..." but then stills before the next toss. It landing mid way
between the last two, though more in a line with the second than the too
wide predecessor. She gives a little nod again, and throws the next before
she has time to think it through more. Thinking sometimes being
detrimental. It's spacing isn't a perfect continuation of the line at equal
distances, but falls just above and to the right of the wide throw as well.

It may be simple frustration and impatience that lead Kassi to abandon her
watching place and step forward, or it may be the lingering remnants of her
normal impulse to be helpful and share the joys of knife-throwing with the
world. "You do better when you let instinct guide you," she says, terse but
not precisely unkind, and gestures towards this last throw. "'Tis much like
throwing the firestone sacks--if'n you worry *too* much about it, you'll be
off, either in aim or in how hard you throw. Aim with your mind more than
your eyes. *Know* where you want it t'be. Try and achieve the point where
you can get it there without thinking of it at all." Of course, Lani may
well have heard all this before from someone, but Kassi's either not
thinking of that or just wouldn't care.

Lanisa doesn't take offence at getting the advice, heard before or not. But
rather she nods twice more, takes another slow breath and then gives a
little shoulder shake, as if ridding herself of the tension. "Right." Seems
she's one of few words when throwing at least, and now the next two she
places quickly. Lower left and right corners. A few inches up, a few inches
in. Rather like the one she did earlier along the top. Maybe she's trying
for corners now, or maybe she is doing as loose L?

"Right," Kassima echoes, standing back enough to hover just behind Lanisa's
shoulder with her arms folded across her chest. Again, she's just seven
shades of helpful. Perhaps she used up her store of words on that earlier
note; now she just nods once, without smiling, for each corner-strike.

Lanisa places two more of the knives, before she stops. The last two
unthrown. The first of the last, goes midway between the bottom pair, and
the last, directly above it. Well, in a straight line anyway. For it's sent
mid bale, in her closet strike to center yet. "I don't know I'm ready to
try and place between any of the others." She says then. Course, she could
go for the last corner still, but she doesn't. She just considers her own
work a moment longer, then sneaks a peek at Kassi.

Kassima considers this end result as seriously, as grimly, and as long as a
sane person might consider a burned-out Thread burrow. At length, "That'll
do. Don't think I missed that they didn't all go just where you wanted.
That L's sloppy as aught. But at least *'tis* an L, mostly, and nay
unrecognizable as such, so that's something." Ah, the praise of a proddy
spectator. "Last throw was good... until you're fair sure of yourself and
they almost always go *exactly* where you want 'em, you shouldn't try
t'place 'em too close. You'll probably damage the knives. Knives deserve
better treatment."

Lanisa relaxes, then nods, even dares a smile. Risky that, or not. "No. Not
all where I wanted. But I'll keep working on it." Another nod, "Right.
Wouldn't want to risk the knives." Especially not Kassi's knives, "They are
a great set. It'll be a while before I could manage anything like them. I
just have the two good ones." Be a while, since she's wanting a wardrobe
next? And only two good ones, as if so many even have that at her age? But
all this comes as she heads over to retrieve the knives thrown, working
them free, not pulling, "You plan to practice some more just now then?"

Kassima flicks a slightly sardonic look for the smile, but doesn't take it
as some sort of sign to attack. "A gift from m'Da and Guard cousins who
taught me," she admits--and the knives, those get a glance of real
fondness. "I've practiced with 'em long. I've fancier ones, certes, jeweled
or carved or what have you, but none quite so convenient for carrying for
practice." She nods to the roll. The idea of having knives so young doesn't
seem to faze her--go figure that--and she just nods to this. "Might keep an
eye out at Gathers. The Smithcraft sometimes sells fair blades for prices
that aren't too dear. I don't know... I could, but I think I'm bored with
that. Too restless. And 'twill have t'have the straw gone ere the
graduation starts. Mayhaps I should polish these... really, I want t'*hunt*
something, or scream at something, or destroy something, but."

"At gathers. I'll remember that. I got my good pair while Da was at the
Hall. I think I'll look into something good to carry them like this. Sure
is handy." The last knife is slid back in and Lani rolls them back up for
returning. Not tossing, but handing them. The bales left as they are just
then. "Well if they are all polished, then they'll be ready for hunting, or
the next time, aye?"

Despite Lysseth's clear distaste for the idea, Kassi takes her knives to
her dragon and commandeers a seat on one glowing green foreleg: dragonhide
is kind enough for sisal to touch, even when it's Lysseth's dragonhide.
"How much did you pay for them?" she wants to know, sliding the first knife
free and checking a pocket at the tag end of the roll for a scrap of oiled
cloth. "Useful when you want t'carry knives in quantity for practicing. Nay
useful at all for wearing 'em or carrying them with the intent t'*use* them
as a weapon should you need to. The Tanners should look into it." Although
she sighs again, she grants, "True enough, though probably I'll use
different knives for that. But tomorrow can't come too soon. It distracts
me, hunting things. Doesn't need *thought*."

"Four marks." Lani replies as she commandeers a bale for a seat, "Wiped me
out at the time, but it they were worth it. Made for my hand and all." She
nods "Aye. I'd image they'd not be very concealed, but so far I've not been
allowed to carry them outside of practicing." Never mind it's up to her
after tonight? "Hmm, good point. Be a shame to damage these on a hunt. But
I can see how that would be a good distraction. It always calms me a little
to hunt."

Kassima looks up to ask incredulously, "Four marks *each*? Mnementh's
much-overrated reproductive bits--I *suppose* 'twere young enough that
price can be excused, but I certes hope you'd hesitate t'pay so much now.
Your own business after tonight whether you carry 'em or not, at least. Nay
your parents' ward anymore." She rubs the cloth along the blade of her
chosen knife with meticulous care. "More that I'm going t'want knives I can
skin or decapitate or disembowel with later, depending on the prey--but
aye. *She*," a jerk of her shoulder back towards Lysseth, "approves enough
of hunting that it doesn't jangle so. Sometimes I've even felt almost
pleased, if'n I killed enough things."

Lanisa considers a moment, then shakes her head, "Six total. For all of it.
The custom making, the materials all that." She flushes a bit for the young
enough and then, "It is, isn't it? I just keep forgetting that. But aye,
I'm a bit better at bargaining now." She looks then at Lysseth, "That's got
to be quite a bit of, well pressure to handle I'd imagine. Tisiath's only
just started looking, watching more, but he's not gone after any yet, so
it's not been something I've even come that close too, other than as before
yet... She approves and almost is pleased if you get enough though, eh? I'd
call that incentive."

"That isn't too terrible," Kassima will grudgingly concede. "Perhaps I
could've gotten better. But 'tis a fair start. I imagine you'll recall it
better soon enough--oh, Faranth, aye. *She's* angry. So *I'm* angry. And
she won't *leave me alone*, or let me *rest*, or--" Her voice had been
getting sharper and sharper, and now greenrider and green dragon glare at
each other fiercely enough that the air could almost smoke between them.
There are probably some choice words being exchanged silently. "Nay, I'm
the one pleased by the kill count. She's... she's only pleased if'n she
scores some point off a male, methinks. Even that doesn't please her half
the time. If'n 'tis too easy, 'tisn't a victory on her part, 'tis cowardice
on his. You've the fortune that Tisiath's yet spared you. Mayhaps you'll be
one of the lucky ones and he'll be late t'chase."

Lanisa nods, "Another thing to keep working on anyway." For the other her
eyes widen just a bit, she listens, she nods, but oooh no, she doesn't
interrupt. She lifts brow, "Scores a point, hmm. I suppose I can see that.
Tisi just doesn't seem to have much of an opinion on it all yet. I mean, he
still thinks he's the one that should be admired, I guess. I can hope he'll
wait anyway."

"I don't think she necessarily likes being admired." Kassima casts a long
and not-too-thrilled look over her shoulder at her green, who is now
pretending she doesn't exist and trying to make a weed combust from the
force of her glower. "When they won't stop *looking* at her she just gets
edgier. Most at least have more sense. I don't know if'n she'd actually be
happy if'n everyone ignored her, though--she almost revels in the anger,
the... shells, well, you can imagine. Y'know how you said 'twere glad nay
t'ride green? Be glad. *Exceedingly* glad."

Lanisa flushes and nods. Her reply is quiet, "I am. No offence to her or
you or any other. But I am glad Tisiath is a blue. Not that we can walk
away from every flight, but to know we can when we have to?"

>From Kassi's reluctant nod, she understands this. Which isn't to say that
there isn't a hint of malicious pleasure in her pointing out, "A'course,
riding blue, you have t'face *more* of 'em than I do. I just do this once a
Turn. But he...." It can't last; she slides back into neutrality at least,
with a downward twitch of one mouth-corner. "A'course, most greens aren't
quite so... infrequent. I imagine there are some you'd nay want chasing
you. Or wanting t'chase. Or wanting t'chase *with*."

Lanisa flushes and nods, "If we catch that much." Which, to judge from her
expression, she doesn't seem to mind if they don't. She nods though, "I'd
rather be able to pull away." A simple answer, but it says a lot, "Besides,
Tisiath is prefect for me anyway, eh?"

"D'you doubt he can?" Kassi asks, almost kindly, which is a giveaway that
it's not a kind question at all. Another twitch and she bites her lip,
looking annoyed. "*Anyway*. Still have t'deal with the loss, and the
greenrider, and the Egg knows *we* aren't fun t'deal with." Admission?
"Can't say I haven't sometimes wished I could. But some flights are worth
it. Some."

"No. Just. I don't know. Not like just chasing means catching I guess I
mean..." Lani sighs, "I'm just fine if he waits awhile." She can hope
anyway, "And yeah. I've seen enough after to know loss isn't a slice of
cake either. I just would rather that than some other options I suppose."

"You don't always *have* t'catch." This is Kassi's interpretation. "Truth.
*We* don't have that chance. Don't get t'think, 'Well, fardles, but mayhaps
after she goes up I can go drink somewhere.' As some of us might prefer."
She rolls her shoulders. It's not quite a shrug, more a half-angry gesture
of frustration. "At least my dear, *sweet* wife," and that's almost
poisonous, though the poison's more for that absent man, "also rides a
male. You might be able t'commiserate together. As 'twere."

"I hope not. Though I suppose when ever he gives chase he'll feel
differently at least. I don't know yet what I'll feel, you know, just
then..." The last, for the first time shows signs of making Lani look
uncomfortable with the familiar jest she's always been more amused by,
"Yeah. If we both, well."

Kassima sits on the question of whether or not to say anything about that
for a minute. Finally, after slipping the last of her small knives back
home, "For what 'tis worth. I *believe* that for males the chase is less...
stressful. They generally want t'win. So once you're, y'know, with him, it
should be nay so bad, until or unless he loses." She says this
emotionlessly, just not able to conjure anything like a reassuring tone.
"Always possible you won't both." To repeat: no reassurance here. "But if'n
nay, 'tis a flight. Just a flight. And there's alcohol and cold water
t'help; you don't *have* t'sleep with someone else, either of you, so.
There's that."

Daikoth flies in from above.

Lanisa nods slowly, maybe not sure what to say for the beginning of it all,
and yet reassured at the same time, "Right. Fine until after then. And
after I'll just deal with after." The latter part takes her even longer to
answer and she again nods, "Right. The one that doesn't, does't have to, I
know." She sounds so reassured too, doesn't she? A perfect match for the
not so reassurance she gets. And yet, at the same time, she doesn't seem
totally disbelieving of this either. "I guess we'll just find out the hard
way, eh?"

M'tri slides off Daikoth and jumps to the ground, gently caressing an
eyeridge as a thank-you.

Kassima is sitting on Lysseth's foreleg, much to the green's disgust, with
a rolled leather bundle in her skirted lap. She's talking to Lanisa in
tones that almost approach the civil, although they're a bit too flat to
really get there. "Your after is easier t'deal with sometimes than ours,
if'n naught else. You can take comfort in how much better you have it than
the femaleriders." Like that'd be a safe thing to do right now. "I'd guess
you will. But 'twill tell you, whatever some maleriders say, I don't
believe for a moment there's a complete lack of self-control. You really do
nay have to. And if'n *that one* does it, you should lodge your knee
between his legs so sharply that his jewels start rattling around where his
brain should be, but clearly isn't."

Amarie heads over from the central bowl.

Lanisa's seat is a rather abused bale of straw. You don't think it's been
pierced with a few knives lately, do you? "I suppose, from the standpoint
of we have some say in who if there is a who and all of that." She agrees
to that anyway. But the latter makes her flush, "Knee him in the...If
he...Because of...Oh shells." Way to finish a sentence, Lani.

Yay for acrobats! No doubt the air is whistling past dragon and rider as
the familiar, sober blue that is Daikoth's plummets for the ground. Whee.
With a snap of the wings, the blue parachutes his fall and glides to a
landing half in the water, with M'tri wincing and leaning over the edge to
stare at the straps. "Not /wet/ Daikoth." The dragon, mid-way warbling a
greeting to his clutchmate and then a more wary one at the green (pretty
green...good green...), halts to turn a scolding eye on his rider. Someone
had better get to scrubbing so he looks good for later--when, no doubt,
even golds will flock at his calling. For isn't he The Daikoth? She-dragons
/want/ him!

Lysseth's response? A hiss, her eyes swirling a slow but steady blood red.
Not one of the more subtle ladies, she, even had the black-clad rider not
been a giveaway. Her wings start to mantle at the presence of Yet Another
Male in territory she's claimed as hers, but Kassi reaches an absent fist
to clout her arm again. "There are going t'be *plenty* of males here when
graduation happens. Get used to it." Hiss. "Shut up. Well, a'*course*,
Lani," she says to the blue Weyrling now, and an actual grin crosses her
face. It's a predatory grin, but perhaps it still counts? "What else?
'Twill guarantee he won't do *that* again any time soon. Nay with you
either, but if'n he's been meeting some other, you probably won't want
those parts anymore."

Lanisa has enough time to notice just who is walking in on the conversation
and realize what they were talking about and how it might all sound. "Well.
I'll keep the suggestion in mind. But maybe just practice the maneuver on
T'van, eh? You know, if he tries anything. But I'll stay optimistic on the
other until he proves otherwise." She lets out a slow breath then and gives
M'tri a smile while Tisiath just moves out of the shallows at last to rest
off to the side, well away from Lysseth. Not that he doesn't watch, but
he's already granted the win in the battle of, 'This is my space - That is
your space.'

Daikoth huffs. -Obviously- -someone's- -testy-. Hence that wary croon.
Well, either way, his name is written all over this lake in gold, if she
wants a picture he'll give it to her. When he's all pretty and clean she'll
want him. M'tri, meanwhile, has unbuckled and is carefully scaling Mt.
Daikoth's Neck, trying not to fall into the water, likely due to the fact
that he's got a satchel over his shoulder that he's handling with care. The
blue is patient enough not to shift too quickly as he lowers to let his
lifemate hop to the ground and flick a wave off. Double take at Kassi--then
rather unwisely wonder, "What's with the outfit, Kassi?" while he puts the
satchel safely off to the side.

Kassima may notice, too; her dark green eyes flick M'tri's way, but so
briefly that it would be easy to miss. "By all means, practice on T'van,"
she graciously allows. "Practice on all the men. Since naught says that I
can't still do it after you do it--that means there's plenty of kneeing
t'go around for us all. *Probably* he'll be fine, despite the endless reams
of bronzeriders he undresses with his eyes." She'd normally sound amused,
saying that. Now? Disgusted, quite as if it's true and no less than she'd
expect. Lysseth resettles, if one could call it that given how tense she
is, and concentrates on looking unapproachable. Kassima now does look over
to M'tri to ask him a touch sharply, "Why? What's wrong with the outfit?"

Luck be with a lady who gets a ride from a Telgar rider. As promised,
Amarie has come to see her friends graduated and done with weyrlinghood. It
is one of the kind blueriders who came to pick her up and drop her off. She
easily dismounts, looking up and speaking with the rider for a moment and
laughing. She nods at him and then says, "Thank you," before turning to
present herself towards the lake shore.

Cantaneth lumbers in from the central bowl.

Lanisa winces as she glances at Trii just then, but assures Kasi, "It's
lovely, really. Incredible gown." Ah, and then the other, "Well I'd never
want to get in the way of you kneeing T'van in the jewels, of course. I'm
sure he's got a few extra coming too." As for any other men, well, she no
comments now other than a quiet, "I'm sure."

"Nothing," M'tri murmurs as he wades back in, paddles out, and starts on a
last-minute quickie scrub. To appease Daikoth. Look. I'm blue and I can be
unapproachable too. Neener. "Nothing's wrong with it...just a
bit...uncharacteristic, is all." That's all the young man seems willing to
offer, at this point, instead focusing his attention on removing the wetted
down straps and scrubbing simultaneously. Though he does acknowledge Lani's
wince with a shrug. Hmph.

Kassima is slightly mollified, and flicks a nonexistant speck of dust from
the soft fur that lines the bodice. "Borrowed much of it. But I rather like
it, too. Even if'n I can scarcely breathe." She heaves a rather impressive
sigh for M'tri's comment, suggesting tersely, "Ask Daikoth why, then. He
probably has a clue. --'Tis truth, Lani, well-true; I could kick him from
here t'High Reaches, every kick aimed there, and still 'twould nay be kicks
enough. *Two bloody marks*." Lysseth's increased edginess and rustling of
shining wings alerts her to the presence of two more male dragons. Neither
they nor their passengers get much in the way of greeting beyond a look,
but then, she's not calling out epithets either.

J'len slides down Cantaneth's neck to dismount, first to his proffered
foreleg, then to the ground.

Amarie hears familiar voices and approaches with a "Beastcrafts duties to
Telgar and her Queens. And lovely night here isn't it? Kassima, don't tell
me you're competing with the stars again as to who is more lovely.. the
answer should be quite obvious by now." Amarie's greeting is easy and
casual, a smile on her lips as she sees Kassima, M'tri and Lanisa. "M'tri!
What are you doing? Why are you washing Daikoth now?"

"Never knew the change was that drastic. Neh, Daikoth, people are getting
here. You're done." The blue looks completely disconcerted at that, though
he still /drags/ himself out of the water, and when M'tri retrieves his
satchel once more, he ducks expertly behind the dragon's outstretched wing,
muttering, "I'll hurt you if you move," as he does. Damn quick changes.
Amarie's question earns a very disgruntled, "Because his majesty demanded
it!" Rustle rustle.

Lanisa glances at Trii again and then looks about to say something. But
after a glance to Kassi she clams up again before she says, "Aye. T'van
would deserve every one of them. He clearly didn't know what he trifled
with, Making a suggestion like that." Never mind how long ago it was now,
it was still said. "Telgar's duties, Amarie!" She replies cheerfully
enough. Someone has broke her of all the 'ma'am' teasing at least,
"Depends." She finally says to M'tri. "On who. Some others do too, just not
the same."

Cantaneth sails up from his spacious ledge, although his rider has an
entirely different word for the weyr (usually *OUCH*), and catches the wind
to glide sedately towards the lake. He wastes no motion on tricks or
showing off, instead making his display one of precision and perfection in
motion. Oh... and he knows it, too. His gold-tinged wings catch the
descending sun as he cups them to slow his flight and then touches down on
a single outstretched back foot before the other three settle to the sand.
No more knuckle-scraping for this bronze, no thank-you. Daikoth and Tisiath
get a deep rumble-bugle of greeting before he turns his great bronze head
towards Lysseth and... simply inclines it gently before settling himself to
the sand to allow J'len to slide down to the ground.

By Kassi's once again irritated expression as she opens her mouth, whatever
reply she's about to make to Amarie isn't likely a nice one. But she
doesn't do it, quite--she hesitates, shakes her head emphatically, and
settles for saying, "Thankee. But nay quite." She jerks her thumb back to
indicate Lysseth, and Lysseth's visibly brighter hide. "And t'think, M'tri,
I'm *behaving* m'self today... though I'm getting a little tired of
behaving m'self. Any chance you'd move over a bit, Daikoth? A few feet or
so? So we can better admire your wings?" She makes helpful little gestures
to indicate movement to the side that would leave M'tri all too
unprotected. Lysseth seems nearly ready to hiss again, but she must have
decided that Cantaneth is showing some sort of respect: she settles for a
quiet grumble, the edge of a glare, and then subsides.

Leonneth lumbers in from the central bowl.

Avrieth flies in from above.

I'sai heads over from the central bowl.

Yselle heads over from the central bowl.

Claret slithers down from her perch on Avrieth's neck.

K'ran heads over from the central bowl.

V'lano heads over from the central bowl.

Dianneth flies in from above.

A'tan slides down from Leonneth.

Volath lumbers in from the central bowl.

Sarevith lumbers in from the central bowl.

T'bay slides down from Sarevith.

Sonaith lumbers in from the central bowl.

Breena carefully climbs back down to the ground.

Kassima sits on Lysseth's forleg, which, like the rest of the dragon, is
somewhat off its usual shade, just as the rider's clothing is somewhat off
*its* usual shade. She's making little move-move-move motions at Daikoth
for some reason. When the arrival of yet more dragons causes her lifemate
to tense, however, Kassi mutters, "Looks like the gang's all here," and
rises to her feet, smoothing a line from her skirt. She doesn't greet
anyone; she eyes them instead, and turns to tuck the bundle of leather she
was holding into Lysseth's strap pouch.

Amarie smiles at M'tri's complaint saying, "Well that's what you get for
impressing him," in a teasing tone. She steps to one side though as
suddenly more dragons make their appearance. "Kassima is there anywhere
we're supposed to sit during the ceremony?" she asks the older woman,
heedless of her state of mind right now.

I'sai heads swiftly for Lanisa, and tells her, "Wingleader. Grab your
'seconds, and line 'em up. Last task before you get time off," and tosses
her a grin before stepping back, eyeing the observers for a long moment
before stepping back towards his staff is assembling. S'fin rushes up with
two of the by now familiar leather bags, one of which the bluerider offers
to Yselle.

A'tan steps over to the group and snaps of a crisp salute and smiles gently
before making his way next to Leonneth. She is wearing brand new leather
straps which have been shined as much as possible.

Daikoth chuffs a couple times in response to Kassi. Move? Because his wings
are pretty? Why, that can't be all bad. "-NO-!" The blue stops his
shuffling off to the side in favor of looking mad. "Just...wait, okay?"
M'tri's muffled voice says, and there's more rustling. Then Daikoth can
move, apparently, though any sort of showing off is forgotten in favor of
greeting his fellows.

J'len hits the ground running, or jogging at least, as he's spotted a very
familiar cloak around a very familiar figure down on the sand. He's taken
his cue from Cantaneth and the luminescent Lysseth that things might be a
bit dicey with Kassi... as if that dress couldn't warn a few folks at
least, so he slows to a walk and stops once he's just outside of range of
barbed wit. Unfortunately, they seem to have cut their timing a bit close
so he only has time to smile warmly to Amarie before everyone and the
Weyrlingmasters arrive and it's time to get down to business. He salutes
the proper knots on his way back to Cantaneth's side.

That bubbly assistant murmurs, "See J'len snap off that salute? That's my
boy!"

"Time off," Yselle murmurs amusedly, taking the bag from S'fin, and then,
after a whisper from the bluerider, glares, and offers him a good clip over
the ear, which he dodges. "Thank you," she says drily, heading over to
I'sai, and muttering, "I wonder if we could get him dawn sweeps for the
rest of his natural life?" She eyes Lysseth's shade, but her only reaction
is to furtively look Kassima up and down.

A'tan looks around the area for his mentor and sighs to himself when he
doesn't see her. He steps over to Leonneth and checks her straps before
standing next to her at attention. The green nuzzles him and croons a
greeting to all the others around her.

K'ran arrives at the lakeshore at the head of a small parade of riders and
lower caverns folk pressed into service for the purposes of bearing a
number of polished wooden chests over to the assembly. The Weyrleader sets
down the box *he's* been carrying, brushes off his jacket, and eases
himself into a parade-rest stance to supervise as the other boxes are
stacked nearby.

Lanisa glances again at Kassi, but keeps her seat on the straw bale, not
far from the greenrider. "You have been." A simple agreement, that gets no
farther as I'sai approaches and speaks. She gets to her feet, salutes to
the arrivals and then seeks out said seconds before catching their eyes,
giving a smile as she calls them over first. And after that calls out for
the rest, loud enough to carry, "Icemelt! Everyone, form up!"

"Don't know, don't care." Kassima is so many shades of helpful tonight. She
relents to tell Amarie, "As best I know, nay; I usually stand a bit off to
the side of where they assemble for watching. Probably someone will gesture
for us t'move if'n we're in the wrong place. At which point I personally
would be inclined t'gesture right back, but this is a formal occasion and
we must behave. Mustn't we." She folds her arms beneath her chest and fires
a glare M'tri's direction. Spoilsport.

T'bay, his orangeybrown hair slicked back from a recent foray into the
baths, arrives with Sarevith, the brown busy strutting his barrel chest in
a most friendly manner while his rider completes the requisite set of
salutes. Sarevith's head dips playfully, half chewing at the back of
T'bay's freshly cleaned shirt, then whuffles about the time that T'bay
realizes that a little crowd is gathering, grins in sheepish glee, and
surveys the group, seeking familarity, but that doesn't last hardly a
second before he's following Icemelt's wingleader's directions.

V'lano arrives on foot from one direction, Volath similarly from slightly
another. The pair halt briefly not far from the lake and eye each other
almost warily, but after a silent moment in which anyone else wishing to
make progress is obliged to go around or elbow past, some forgiveness seems
to be reached regarding whatever disagreement they've had. V'lano takes
Lanisa's order to heart only after doing a circle of salutes as
appropriate, then joins his distractable lifemate in the growing line,
adjusting his sweater to cover as much as possible of the sleeves of the
obligatorily floofy blouse worn specifically on such occasions.

Claret hits the ground in an almost collected fashion, sparing a moment to
give Avrieth's hide a pat before raising a hand for numerous salutes.
Smiling sparingly at any she passes--or nearly collides with in her
enthusiasm--she makes her way quickly to the line, Avrieth following with a
little rumble.

Still straightening that jacket of his, M'tri falls into line, glaring
balefully between Daikoth and Kassima. Lysseth is left out because she has
sharp teeth. And his bigger than him. As he goes, he does snap off salutes,
and then finally finds his place in line, steps forward, and waits.

Nepenth lumbers in from the central bowl.

Telgar Weyr> M'hon waves, "Hello!"

Nepenth flies lazily above the lake and bugles a greeting to all the
dragons as he comes to a landing a little distance away from the weyrling
group. His rider slides down and stands next to him.

Kaelyn vaults down Nepenth's side to the ground, the dragon's sparkling
eyes watching closely.

Telgar Weyr> K'ran says, "Hey there, M'hon."

Telgar Weyr> Yselle says, "Hey M'hon, come see the weyrlings graduate."

Telgar Weyr> M'hon grins, "Already? Fantastic!"

Amarie's mouth drops open slightly at Kassima's reply. She looks uncertain
for a moment as to how to deal with /this/ particular Kassima. Silence
seems to work best and she nods and moves off to the side. J'len gets a
wave and a smile as she watches him find a place for the ceremony. She also
tries to wave to others such as Claret, A'tan, V'lano and T'bay. Roberta..
or Bertie, just gets a little eyeroll and when the weyrling turns away,
Amarie makes a face at her.

M'hon heads over from the central bowl.

Telgar Weyr> Yselle says, "They're a great bunch, very efficient."

Breena's dressed in her weyrling best--the clothing she was able to get the
cleanest. She salutes to the riders about, then falls into place as Lanisa
gives the order, but not without a backward smile of reassurance for Sonaith.

Cantaneth was here fourth, and he /just/ settled into a comfortable
position, so he's loathe to move until J'len arrives and shoos him to his
feet before taking his own position in the Icemelt lines. Cantaneth gives
himself a quick shake to dislodge what sand was clinging and settles into
line. J'len smooths down the long souther-styled vest he wears over his
best clothes; stored away since candidacy to avoid the damages his other
clothing has endured the past seasons.

Emilly heads over from the central bowl.

A'tan looks up as he sees his mom and Nepenth land. He smiles warmly at her
and gives a waves to her before waving over at Amarie as well.

Kassima bares her teeth in a way that might be mistaken for a grin at M'tri
just prior to returning that array of salutes, razor sharp and absolutely
precise. The glance she flicks Amarie doesn't quite manage to make it to
apologetic; at least it's acknowledgment. The beads in her braids clatter
gently as she shifts her weight, seeking out two particular Weyrlings and
nodding her approval--grudging, but real--to each of her mentees.

Telgar Weyr> A'tan says, "We are efficient?"

Shalyn heads over from the central bowl.

I'sai doesn't bother to clear his throat as the weyrlings assemble; when he
looks about the group, and then finally speaks after most seem in line, his
light tenor is precise. "There's a speech I have. Part of it's borrowed
from Maylia; mostly it's my own, polished through the Turns and clutches.
I've set it aside tonight. Because, -if- the starsmiths are right, and
provided Lessa doesn't come again," his grin both tilted and sharp, "you
won't be seeing any Fall. In a way it's going to be harder on you, to keep
your abilities up, when you won't -need- to practice because you and your
friends would otherwise quickly die. And you're living in a different
world: your dragons, unlike any other full riders', have not just forgotten
but never -known- Thread. And it may be easy to huddle inside the Weyr, or
else easy to disperse from it. Remember your friends. Keep them close. And
make new ones: along with the necessity of earning your living, you've a
lot of -possibilities- out there." Again that long, assessing glance:
seeing who stands fast, who quails.

Telgar Weyr> M'tri says, "Of course we are! Look at us!"

Telgar Weyr> J'len says, "Yes, we've efficiently worn away the Weyr's
supply of good excuses. ;)"

Kaelyn smils at A'tan before noticing that Shalyn has come over. She waves
at her to join her.

Telgar Weyr> A'tan chuckles. I'm not sure I would use the word efficient
though.

Emilly slips in amongst the staff, tugging her jacket straight. She looks a
little windblown as if she's just flown in from somewhere, which is
probably the case. She clasps hands behind her back as the Weyrlingmaster
speaks, eyes roving over the gathered Weyrlings with a hint of a smile.

Telgar Weyr> Yselle says, "You've all been great in getting through
weyrlinghood - and a delight to teach."

Telgar Weyr> Emilly grins and has had a blast y'all. Thank you for having
me, by the by.

Yselle offers Kaelyn a grin and a "Congratulations, your son's done well,"
on her way to I'sai. She listens patiently to the speech, holding the sack
loosely in her hands; she too has adopted an 'at ease' posture, and offers
the weyrlings a grin, picking out each in turn with her gaze.

Shalyn smiles and joins her mother listening to I'sai's speech, knowing
that he is right and that she is in such an odd position. She snugs her
mother and watchers the ceremony.

Aunties and uncles over to the side slowly quit their gossiping as the rest
of the crowd silences, but that doesn't stop a few sixteenths from changing
hands: who will go to which wings, perhaps. One particularly blind man bets
on Skyfire, drawing groans and cackles.

Telgar Weyr> A'tan grins evilly, "We should have caused more trouble. Might
have been more fun. :P

S'fin heads hurriedly over to Emilly, taking what prove to be a few knots
from his sack and looping them on his wrist before handing the sack and the
rest of its contents to the aide.

Kaelyn smiles warmly at Shalyn, "I can't believe he is finally graduating."
she says softly. The rider wraps a loving arm over her daughter as they
watch A'tan.

Lanisa lifts her chin, hands clasped behind her back now as she listens,
while standing there in line with the others. She doesn't fidget, or glance
around just now. There is time enough for that for later. Right now, she's
being the good example once again and paying attention.

Shalyn smiles, "I wonder when weyrlings will start being younger than me."
she giggles at her predicament.

T'bay's own dress clothing long since too large for him leaves him in his
best of the used pickings market, though he grins fairly broadly at the
Weyrlingmaster's chosen words, his nervousness captured by anticipation and
held at bay, even through the whispering and scurrying about. Even Sarevith
has caught on to the eagerness, or perhaps it is something else in the
wind, and he whuffles encouragingly.

Telgar Weyr> I'sai says, "You guys have been great.
Weyrlings/assistants/aide alike."

Telgar Weyr> Yselle says, "Not forgetting the weyrlingmaster. :)"

V'lano settles a little deeper into the sweater, folding a hand into his
opposite elbow in a half-arms-crossed posture as I'sai introduces his
speech as such - then unfolds and straightens as it comes to be apparent
the speech will differ from formula, and possibly be abbreviated as such.
The rest of it washes over him, leaving only a slight expression of
surprise behind; the real reaction here is a lowering of Volath's head and
a soft exhalation that stirs not just his lifemate's hair, but that of
another weyrling next in line.

Kaelyn chuckles at Shalyn. "Oh don't wish it too soon dear. Enjoy life. You
are young and that is good."

Kassima permits herself a sardonic smile for the notion of Lessa appearing
overhead. Certainly not quailing, she, though she's not one of those who
might; she simply fidgets a little, tapping her toe, and eyes those sacks
being passed around with interest.

Shalyn smiles, snugs.

J'len eyes the boxes stacked by his mentor, and the leather sacks held by
S'fin and Yselle. When I'sai begins his speech, he listens to the words and
when the Weyrlingmaster's gaze sweeps over him, he does his level best to
meet it. He's a different man than he was those turns ago when he ran away
from Honshu specifically to avoid standing in this position one day. He's
grown, not just gotten larger (which as hard as it might be to believe, is
true), but grown up as well. And he's no longer ashamed to show that in his
mannerisms.

A'tan looks around the area one person at a time. This young man has grown
up since impressing. He smiles warmly at the others and nods approvement at
his weyrlingmates. He nods with a smile to Yselle as his brown eyes stop at
her for a moment. He looks over at Lanisa and winks at her before turning
his attention back to his WeyrlingMaster.

Amarie smiles in encouragement. She too, looks curious about what's in the
sacks and boxes. But that will be revealed as time moves along and each one
present, is no longer a weyrling, but a rider in a wing.

Telgar Weyr> A'tan says, "I hope that I get a chance to rp with more of you
now that we aren't weyrlings. I would really like to get to know a bunch of
you better."

Meanwhile, Datala, green Jonceth's rider manages to scoot a little closer
to A'tan. She doesn't say anything, but she does try to catch his gaze. She
looks a little nervous, and will probably only discover later that her
tunic is on inside out.

Telgar Weyr> K'ran says, "Absolutely, A'tan. :)"

Telgar Weyr> Yselle grins. Weyrling RP is good fun, but it's nice to get
rider RP too.

Emilly blinks as S'fin patters up and closes hands around the sack he hands
her. She peers inside and nods once, then looks around expectantly, taking
a deep breath to settle what might be nerves.

M'tri shows a decent amount of discipline now, whether it matters now or
not. He stands fast, gaze flickering only once away from the weyrlingmaster
to give his dragon a very wry (and slightly rueful) smile.

Claret can't quite keep from managing a fidget, though her expression
remains steady enough for the duration of the Werylingmaster's speech.
Folding her hands behind her, she darts a quick glance at the weyrlings on
either side of her, and on down the line.

A'tan glances over at Datala with a gentle smile. "We've finally done it."
he says softly. He stands and watches I'sai as he listens to his words to
hopefully take with him and grow as a rider in the future.

Still in that parade-rest stance with hands clasped behind his back, K'ran
looks on with pride curving his lips -- and if his eyes line with mirth
when J'len ganders his way, he schools his expression back toward propriety
rather quickly.

One of the younger weyrlings is bouncing up and down on her toes, eyes wide
and looking so excited she might well burst. "Oh I can't wait, oh I can't
wait," she mutters to her neighbor who rolls his eyes a little at her
exuberance. "Let the Weyrlingmaster finish," he says stentoriously and
makes much of standing straight and paying attention.

I'sai continues, "At any rate. I think you're ready to join the working
wings, and to take your lumps. Each of you. Tonight, you're going to get
your new riders' knots, celebrate, get some loot from your Weyrleader into
whose keeping I'm going to give you, and who's about to talk to you some
himself," here he nods easily toward K'ran and the passel of wooden chests,
"then wait to be tapped into your new wing and learn that wing's variations
on techniques all over again. But first, I'd like to thank my staff:
assistants Bronwynn, who's been with me 'most every clutch; Yselle, who
swapped out her Weyrsecond's knot for the duration, which says something
for her dedication - towards Telgar's newest riders, that is; S'fin, with
whom I'm going to share that bottle he owes me." He adds a couple more
names here before mentioning last, "And Emilly, whose first home was
Telgar, graciously lent by the 'Reaches to help us as an aide. Your mentors
are owed thanks as well; so are the weyrlingmasters who came before us,"
and he points out each present with a nod before starting the applause with
slow, regular claps.

Amarie joins in the applause for the weyrlingmasters who assisted I'sai
during the weyrlinghood. She grins at Kassima, then looks around to find
those the weyrlingmaster pointed at to put faces with names.

Yselle offers A'tan, and, since she's next to him, Datala, a return grin.
She's looking proud, and more than a little excited. Too, she picks out
V'lano and T'bay with her gaze, and if she manages to catch their
attention, sends her ex-holdmates a warm smile. So she almost misses the
fact I'sai is mentioning her. She blushes and mutters, staring at her toes,
"It's our duty to the weyr, and by rights they should be applauding you too."

Kaelyn reaches up and wipes at her eyes briefly before joining in clapping
for the whole group.

Kassima, slightly discomfited at being so indicated, nevertheless inclines
her head in a reasonably gracious and perhaps even slightly
grateful--perhaps--acknowledgment. She unfolds her arms in order to applaud
Weyrlings, Weyrlingmaster, and all others mentioned, polite little claps
that make little noise compared to those of others.

Roberta joins in the applause somewhat less than completely
enthusiastically. She's been eyeing Kassima with an interested eye,
particularly that glow on Lysseth. "Won't Pierron be interested to hear
/that/?" she mutters. At a nudge from a classmate, she dutifully looks like
she's been paying attention, and claps with the rest of them.

Lanisa unclasps her hands at last, to join in the applause as it begins. A
smile forming now as she does glance to all, or most all, those pointed out
in her da's speech. She does send a flicker of a glance at her wing once,
but at the last she's looking back to I'sai again.

T'bay's unschooled grin widens even further as each of the group's leaders
are mentioned by name, the one who hails from his homehold earning a quiet
whooping that is schooled enough to not stand out and identify him, then
shushes for the remainder of the speech (especially as said individual
finds his gaze!) before Sarevith gets the idea that bugles are in order. At
last, and heartily, he joins in the applause, which gives the brown all the
permission he needs to echo the appreciation in his way.

V'lano joins in the applause while Volath lifts his head high once more,
looking vaguely downward to consider the shapes of those of his clutchsibs
he's outgrown, along the length of the row on either side. His rider
continues clapping, eyeing each of the indicated weyrlingmaster staffers
and the Weyrleader in turn, then his mentess as well. Volath, utterly
oblivious, starts a brief whuffling war with the blue to his left - I
breathe on you, you breathe on me - but shares in the shushing from the
hair-mussed weyrling who glowers at V'lano for being distracted.

M'tri joins the applause with a grin for each mentioned name. Polite,
dignified claps. No uncouth whooping here, no sir. Hearing Roberta nearby,
he murmurs, "I'd imagine your lifemate'll be very interested too." How's
that to shut her hole?

Breena joins the applause along with the rest of the weyrlings, with a
quick smile for Emilly, most especially. Sonaith is quickly shushed, before
she can start in with the warbling--probably for the best. Hands tucked
behind her back, the young woman waits, quiet.

Claret settles her gaze on each person I'sai mentions, in turn, unfolding
her hands to join in the applause, the corner of her mouth twitching at the
whooping and any cheers that might accompany. At mention of mentors, her
gaze flickers backward to Kassima with a brief smile before she schools her
expression and turns forward to continue waiting quietly.

J'len's lips upturn in a quick smirk as he overhears Bertie's remark about
Kassima, but it's just as quickly schooled away to avoid coming under the
black-clad greenrider's royal displeasure. Who knows what the proddy might
or might not notice? Then he's adding his own rythmic clapping to that of
the others, some things about him may have quieted down a bit, but those
large hands aren't one of them. But he gets off his rythym from M'tri's
remark to Roberta as he just can't avoid the chuckle that prods from him.

K'ran answers I'sai's nod with one of his own even as he joins the
applause, for as long as it lasts in strength; only when it begins to
subside does he hold up a hand and speak. "Clearly," he says, with a grin,
"the Weyrlingmaster has spies checking my speech notes, because he just
stole all my good lines. What can I really add to that? You've always borne
Telgar's hopes for tomorrow, and it's been our pleasure to watch you grow
and learn and become the men and women you are today. You're a credit to
them who taught you, and to the whole of the weyr. And while now comes the
biggest challenge of all -- helping keep the skills to fight Thread alive,
in order to pass it on to those who follow you -- we have every confidence
in you." He'll pause, briefly. "Now. Who wants presents? Should I go in
order by names? Or just call people up at random?"

Shalyn pipes up, "Go Alphabetically!"

Emilly rocks up on her toes a little, sack swinging from her hands as I'sai
continues to speechify. She gives Breena an answering grin as the Weyrling
smiles her way then takes a deep breath and lets it out murmuring something
under her breath about going home being difficult.

Kassima's expression softens enough for a real, tiny smile back to Claret.
Of course, it can't last long: she growls back to Lysseth, "Shut. Up," as
the green begins hissing in response to all the other-dragon noise. Neither
M'tri nor J'len need fear, because she's locked in another battle of glares
for several moments, missing at least half of K'ran's speech and looking
rather disgruntled even after she claims the victory.

I'sai calls over on a laugh, as if they'd practiced it, "Let 'em get their
knots first, before they get distracted by all the - well, wouldn't want to
give it -away-."

A'tan applauses with the rest of the group and smiles as the group of names
is mentioned. Leonneth lifts her head as she hears the other dragons and
decides to add her crooning of a higher pitch than the others. She wuffles
at Datala's dragon encouraging her to join in. A'tan shakes his head and
rolls his eyes as he tries to quiet down his noisy lifemate.. Once the
Weyrleader begins to talk he stands at attention again and his eyes don't
wander away again.

With an amenable nod, K'ran gestures toward I'sai. "Sounds like a plan,
that," he says, easily. "Knot's a better present than anything we've got
over here, anyway."

I'sai casts the other man a dry smile, then beckons to one of the
greenriders, instructing him to make his way over. "Speaking of A'tan," he
greets. "You used to be Kaetan. With Leonneth, you've gained not only a new
name but quite a lot more confidence - keep at it. Keep casting your own
shadow, or shadows, instead of standing in another's. Congratulations; long
may you and your lifemate fly and hunt together." A quick smile's followed
by a formal salute; afterwards he nods the young man over to accept his
rider's knot from Emilly, and thereafter join K'ran. Meanwhile, Yselle has
the next knot, also emerald, but the streaked shade of Sonaith.

Yselle looks up, thoughtful, and says, "I don't know, I really liked my
graduation presents," she grins at the Weyrleader, but then adds, "Knots
are important, yes." She opens the bag, and pulls a few out, watching I'sai
now, and when indicated, holds Breena's knot out.

That got V'lano's attention, if not Volath's. His focus wars with itself,
struggling between the softspoken spectacle that is Kassima and Lysseth,
and the current speaker and Weyrleader. The latter wins, but only late in
the presentation, and the bronzeriding almost-not-weyrling is visibly
startled to hear K'ran's closing question. "Presents?" Low, wondering.
Repeated for clarity, to the weyrling next to him: "Presents?" He leans
forward a bit to begin a third echo at T'bay a few down the line, but then
the line's beginning to move and he falls in, flustered.

Shalyn whistles loudly and applauds as her brother's name is called!

Cantaneth remains quietly civil in the midst of all the clapping and
cheering and noise, only adding in his own rich barritone croon when things
are quieting down and it will carry best over everything else. But he
remains sedately and proudly standing with his wings half-mantled near his
rider as names are called and people start getting new things on their arms
to replace the old.

A'tan takes a deep breath and blushes slightly at his sisters attention. He
walks over to I'sai and snaps of a crisp salute to him meeting the man's
eyes. Leonneth bugles happily at her rider and he tries to shush her with a
chuckle. He smiles at I'sai, "Thank you WeyrlingMaster." He walks over to
Emilly and gives her a salute as well.

As many watchers applaud, S'fin sneaks up to stage whisper to Breena, "Your
turn! Go on up, you'll be a real rider!"

Startled at the mention of presents, Breena's eyes widen, then she looks
I'sai's way. Her current knot is given a look, and that's when it all seems
to sink home, it appears--brown eyes flicker briefly V'lano's direction,
then to the others with whom she's shared the past turn and more of her
life. She reaches back then, runs a hand over Sonaith's muzzle, then snaps
back to attention.

Breena moves forward, too, at S'fin's urging, looking a bit like a
herdbeast that's been startled into a wide-eyed stare.

Emilly plucks up the correct knot, beaming at A'tan. "Congratulations,
Rider" she says warmly to the her fellow Reachian and deftly pins his knot
to his shoulder, returns the salute, then holds her hand out to shake his.

A'tan stands at attention as Emilly pins the knot to his shoulder. He looks
over at it for a moment as his eyes mist up. He smiles warmly at the woman
and takes her hand firmly in his, "Thank you. Can I call you Emilly now?"
he says very quietly.

Sarevith's limited attention span has begun to wander during this most
solemn of occasions, foregoing noise for neatly untying the ribbon from one
dressed up weryling's hair (Could that be Doralle?) with precise movements
before his rider has noticed. T'bay, who had been listening raptly, closes
his eyes and moans quietly before fiercely whispering to his lifemate,
"This is graduation, not bow-tying class. Would you pay attention? No,
silly, he didn't say knot untying, though you'll get ours untied if you
don't stop it." This chastising delivered, Sarevith sits demurely while
T'bay joins in celebration of A'tan's triumph, reality not yet hitting home.

Amarie shivers and pulls her cloak about her shoulders, wrapping herself in
the fur. She claps for A'tan and Breena as the first weyrlings given their
knots and their wing assignments.

Emilly smiles at A'tan and nods, shaking his hand firmly. "Even just Em if
you want, A'tan," she says and claps him on the shoulder, before sending
him on his way K'ranwards.

I'sai's pale eyes mark Sonaith's rider, and he snaps off a salute first of
all, holding it a moment. "Breena," he says. And then, much more quietly,
"Deep breath." Back to where the others can hear him again, "You've met
challenges; you've met them steadily for the most part; and despite
everything you've gone through, you've not changed who you are. Even with
your Sonaith, with whom I hope you'll continue to explore and learn, even
if you won't fight and flame. Fall, at least. Congratulations." And with
that, he waves towards Yselle, who bears her new rider's knot. For those
watching others, Emilly's next is copper-flecked bronze.

Claret blinks, her expression turning vague as her attention focuses in on
the sacks and boxes that must contain said presents for the first time.
Splitting her attention away from K'ran, I'sai, and the mysterious
packages, she offers a light clap of congratulation for A'tan, and then
more for Breena as she is singled out.

Leonneth warbles and wants to move over to her rider, but stands where she
was told to stay. She croons at Sarevith. She watches the untying of the
bow and warbles encouragement, but stops when she hears T'bay chastise.

Now M'tri's twitching eagerly; Daikoth, though, is not about to act
anything but perfect. His wings have been furled neatly, his tail curled
round in the same tight coil, and his neck stretched down, one eye turned
on his rider and the other turned on the Weyrlingmaster and his staff. He
even resists trumpeting--in case people are watching. He'll leave the
congratulatory whoops to his rider. He's /Daikoth/ and he's a big dragon
now. None of that childish whatnot.

Yselle offers Breena an encouraging grin. "You've earned it," she murmurs,
when the woman's close enough to hear her. Her earlier embarrassment seems
to have been forgotten. She waits though, for I'sai to speak before
offering the new rider's knot with a warm smile. "Congratulations,
greenrider. Would you allow me to assist you in fastening this?"

V'lano's got a decent grip on reality. With it comes a brief grip on his
weyrling knot, pulling the shoulder of his sweater around so he can stare
blankly at the soon-to-depart tangle of ropes. Volath watches the untying
of the bow with great interest, then lifts his head toward the evening sky
to breathe deeply of cooling air. It sets his muscles ashiver, but seems to
have a calming effect on his rider, who resettles himself in place and
straightens his sweater into proper wearing position once more.

Kassima resumes her cool applause for each Weyrling, features arranged into
a polite mask. No dirty looks thrown over her shoulder to Lysseth. No, of
course not. Just the occasional side step of a foot, to land on that green
foreleg just *so*.

A'tan grins from ear to ear, "Thanks...um Em. Its been nice to have someone
from home here," he says lastly before making his way over to his
Weyrleader. His face becomes very serious and his dark eyes come to rest on
K'ran. He stands straight and salutes him with an almost perfect motion.

Lanisa applauds for each in turn, as they move forward, though a glance
goes now and again to those still waiting their turn with her. But mostly
her focus is where it should be, on those gaining new knots.

"Thank you," Breena murmurs, as she accepts her knot, then nods gratefully
to Yselle's offer. "I'd probably drop it. Not a very smooth move, huh?"

K'ran's had the assistance of one of those who helped bring the boxes out
to the bowl, and when A'tan reaches him, he answers the young man's salute
before hefting the chest and then offering it forward. "Congratulations,
A'tan," he says, with a smile. "Compliments of the whole weyr."

Yselle grins, and murmurs in a low tone to Breena, "I remember being pretty
flustered," she says, reaching to fasten the knot to Breena's shoulder.
"Don't worry, everyone who's watching - well the riders anyway - have all
been through this, and they were all every bit as nervous," she steps back
to look at the effect of the new knot on Breena's shoulder. "Looks good on
you," she says. "I think K'ran has something for you. Enjoy it, and good
luck." She indicates the Weyrleader.

Amarie leans in towards Kassima asking, "What's in the chests?" She assumes
Kassima must know, since K'ran said the whole weyr chipped in.

A'tan looks at the chest with wide eyes and then back up to K'ran making
sure this is really for him before taking it from the man. "Thank you
Weyrleader. This is very unexpected. I am happy to call Telgar my home
now." He holds the chest and tries to salute K'ran once again before moving
over to the side so the others can make their way over.

Shalyn makes her way through the crowd before throwing herself on her big
brother. "Congradulations! I'm _so_ happy for you!"

S'fin reaches to try and poke J'len now, too: go on, go on.

T'bay has managed, even temporarily, to return his lifemate's attention to
the proceedings so that he can focus on each weyrling receiving their
rider's knot, distracted enough that he has not yet noticed the conferring
of the weyr's gift on each as they pass. Sarevith's eyes whirl lazily,
blinking mischievous cheer back to Leonneth, though he is still and stately.

Breena tucks her old knot into her pocket, smiles at Yselle, then continues
on down the line toward the Weyrleade. She looks more and more relaxed as
time goes by, but still doesn't appear entirely comfortable with being in
front of everyone.

Kassima shakes her head at the question. "Haven't the foggiest," she
mutters back to Amarie. "They say the whole Weyr, but 'tisn't quite
literal." A pause. Almost wistfully, "You don't suppose they might've put
tunnelsnake heads in the box, d'you? I bet they'd yelp with surprise. It'd
be fun."

Kaelyn tries to stop Shalyn from running over to A'tan, but misses her arm.

K'ran has another chest at his feet by the time Breena arrives in front of
him. He offers her a quick salute, and then a handshake, before hefting the
wooden box and presenting it to her. "Congratulations, Breena. We all hope
you enjoy this stuff."

Breena juggles the box while trying to salute at the same time. "Thank you,
sir." That finished, she grins and heads back over to Sonaith's side, to
watch the rest of the event.

A'tan almost gets knocked over by a small hyper form. His face turn bright
red as the young rider hugs on him. He hugs her back, but releases her
quickly. He glances around to see how many others noticed. He talks
quietly, but can be heard, "Shallie, its not over yet. Get back over there
with mom." he scolds her.

Ok, so J'len still has his occasional moment of obliviousness. But at
S'fin's prodding he lets out a long breath to calm himself and walks up
towards I'sai. He stops a pace away so the Weyrlingmaster doesn't have to
look /straight/ up to speak to him, and snaps off a parade-perfect salute
that still somehow manages to look relaxed and maybe just a touch roguish.

With the applause for Breena faded, I'sai greets the tall man with the
shifty eyes with a slight smile; "J'len," he says. "The obvious thing to
say is that you've learned to manage your size better. What I want to also
remind you of is that, well, there's always more dirt to plow into
muzzle-first and hope it's not stone. And that sometimes a man's got to
learn the hard way. You want to succeed; enjoy the doing as well - and I've
no doubt you will, with your Cantaneth. Congratulations." A quick salute's
held for a moment, slipping into a fluid gesture towards Emilly. Meanwhile,
Yselle's: navy, sheened at its tips as if with sunset.

Shalyn bites her lip and turns a somewhat scarlet color but she quickly
kisses him on the cheek before returning to her former place.

Amarie claps really hard and places her fingers to her mouth to whistle -
well she tries whistling. It mostly comes out like puffy air with a slight
noise on it. So instead she falls back to applauding and cheering slightly.

V'lano watches Breena move through the line with an expression he'd like to
think is unreadable, but which could probably be read as 'thoughtfully
fascinated.' The reshuffling of the line as J'len vacates it draws his
attention from one fresh graduate to the next, though he does steal a
glance at the applauding audience. Finally, he catches sight of Amarie - or
rather, registers her presence. Commence waving.

Yselle weighs that navy knot in her hand as she watches J'len get his, and
then attempts to catch Lanisa's eye. "Psst Lani," she hisses. "You're
next," she indicates I'sai with her head in a 'come here' motion, and as
for the Weyrlingmaster, she watches him for a reaction.

A'tan walks by the rest of the group holding his chest and smiles. He sets
it down on the ground next to Leonneth and stands back at attention to
watch the others get their knots. Leonneth wuffles softly and nudges the
square thing on the ground. She snifts it and then sneezes. A'tan chuckes
softly and reaches out to scritch her ridges speaking with her silently.

Lanisa's watching it all, then takes in the knot now held, glances past it,
and then back. Gaze narrowing a little, and then smiling, she didn't need
the whisper to gage the color, but it's is after Yselle's hiss that she's
making her way out of line to come forward with measured steps.

A'tan smiles at Breena as she walks by him. "Congrats Breena."

I'sai's grin reappears - Yselle? - then widens - the young bluerider? - if
only for a moment. "Lani," he says, then corrects himself, "Lanisa. You've
settled in; and if you don't have an apprenticeship, well, you have
-Tisiath-, and I dare say you've made your grandmothers proud. Sometimes
it's tough for a weyrbrat to make her own way instead of just coasting
along, but I think you've done it. Keep doing it. And - " there's the
salute. "Congratulations." With Yselle taking her in hand, they progress
through a few other weyrlings of Liabeth and Alzaeth's clutch until at last
Emilly's holding a rider's knot that's stranded with pale sienna.

J'len can't help but smirk at the remark about handling his size better. As
the bruises on his forehead can attest, that's easier to do when you have
to crawl through your own weyr just to get a quick change of clothes. He
returns the held salute, "Thank you, sir." Then he steps over to Emilly
with a lopsided grin preceeding his salute for her. In a low voice he asks,
"You getting all the 'Reaches-born tonight?" Then he's all business, or as
much as he gets anyway.

T'bay, after offering those moving through the line most recently applause
and a more subdued smile, is distracted by V'lano's waving. Peering out
into the audience, he finally discerns Amarie, and joins in with the
hello-waves, though he does grin and chuckle a bit at the Weyrlingmaster's
comments about J'len.

Emilly spreads that coppery-threaded knot out in her hand and smiles as
J'len makes his way up to receive it. "Here you go J'len," she says
brightly, and offers to help him on with it. Once it's in place, she offers
her hand again. "Congratulations, it's been a pleasure working with you and
getting to know you better over the past months. And I guess I am at that -
must be something about the air in the 'Reaches," she jokes then nods
K'ran's way. "Step right on over to the Weyrleader now, for your gift."

A'tan smiles as she recognizes J'len. She claps for him as he receives his
knot from Emilly. "Congrats J'len," calls out A'tan mom.

Kassima makes an amused sound despite herself at the mention of
grandmothers, casting the speaker a brief, droll look even as she once
again claps for one new rider after another.

Daikoth grunts. Once. Proud beast that he is, all of a sudden. Or maybe not
so sudden. The blue looks a bit disgraced and more suffering as M'tri's
grin widens for Lani's approach. Beam. Dear, his rider's head is going to
split in half. Someone should take care of that.

Lanisa smiles all the more as she gives I'sai a crisp salute of her own,
and then a bright, "Thank you, Weyrlingmaster." Getting that in just one
more time anyway. And if she says something else, it's soft, pitched low,
before she does then step over to Yselle.

Doralle helpfully attempts a stamp on M'tri's foot, to get his attention
back to where it should be.

Claret continues her light applause as J'len receives his knot, but doesn't
quite manage to keep her attention focused solely on the giving and
receiving of knots. Instead, a croon from Avrieth draws her to follow her
dragon's example for a moment, turning her neck to look at the other
weyrlings still standing in line before her gaze wanders back to Lani, as
she moves forward.

Yselle bats her eyes innocently for I'sai's grin. Hissing? Her? On such an
important occasion? She does relent and offer him a wink before turning to
his daughter though, saying, "Look at it this way, Lani, you can get back
to calling him 'Da' now, and you won't have to salute him. Maybe you can
talk /him/ into a few pushups?" again the innocent smile for her father,
before she's offering to fix the knot on Lanisa's shoulder.

S'fin coughs, and tries to do so loudly enough to catch T'bay's attention
amidst all the applause. Or, at least, Sarevith's. He nods to the
weyrlingmaster, more pointedly.

M'tri bites wickedly down on his lower lip, letting a little whine out as
Doralle's foot connects with his own. Looking positively pathetic, he looks
at his fellow weyrling to whine, "Owey. That wasn't neccessary." But see if
he pays attention now, why doncha?

It is Sarevith who catches on to who is up next, before his rider catches
the clue stone, and his insistence is what propels T'bay up opposite I'ai
just as much as the quietly coughed verbal directive from S'fin. "Sorry.
Sir," comes with a solid salute, the young man who has lost part of himself
in clothing sizes but who gained more in experience grinning confidently.

Amarie waves at T'bay and V'lano, smiling at both the ex-Lemos holders. She
claps for J'len again and tries whistling once more, to no avail. Just air
and a little strange noise, not quite a whistle.

Doralle hisses to M'tri, "Her father's going to be watching you, dimglow,
and /you/ haven't graduated yet. Keep that up and he might keep you a
weyrling forever."

A'tan claps again for J'len and Lanisa. He grins the whole time as he
enjoys the ceremony trying to remember every detail to write down later.
You only graduate from weyrling class once in life. All these people are
his friends and roommates for the past turn and a half. He glances down the
line and frown at Doralle after he realizes what she had done. He rolls his
eyes slightly and then reaches down to touch Leonneth.

I'sai chuckles, low, and waves Lani on without comment; instead, he greets
T'bay with a suspiciously dry smile. "T'bay," he says to the brownrider.
"You've had your frightening moment - moments - but you pulled through. And
you've kept your sense of humor - and kindness, too, including to stray
passersby without the kindest things in the world to say. Yeah, we've been
watching; yeah, for someone else it'd ruin his rep; but you've got a good
one. Keep it; keep working, and playing too. I figure you and Sarevith'll
go far." He salutes right back at him, and there's a touch of challenge in
his voice that tests the young man's confidence even as he smiles: "And
that rider's knot you're going to get from Emilly? See what else she has
for you, too, to tide you over till you're tapped. Dawn drills in the
morning." And after a few more weyrlings, Yselle's next turns out to be
unvarying felt-green.

J'len grins to Emilly and bows down a bit so it's not so much of a reach
for her to help him in swapping out his weyrling knot for the full-rider
knot. "You mean something besides snow, ice, and general cold? Maybe it was
good growing up Honshu." He winks at her to back up the jest as such before
straightening, saluting her, and striding over to K'ran and the crates with
a wide grin and another salute for his Mentor.

Lanisa chuckles softly, as she answers, letting Yselle place the new knot,
"Ehh. The push ups were worth it." And she would think that, "But I'll be
happy enough to not get them the next time I care to give him my opinion on
a matter." And with that she glances back over her shoulder at him before
moving on when Ys is done.

K'ran has another of the chests ready when J'len makes his way down the
line, and after he gives his mentee a sharp salute and a handshake, he's
offering forth the cedar box. "Try not to crush it," he quips,
good-naturedly, for all the unlikelihood of that. "Congratulations, J'len.
Real proud of you."

"You think he's that mean?" M'tri ventures rhetorically, but falls silent
and lowers the wattage of that grin. A lot. Fine...fine. He'll wait for the
knot /then/ woo Lani with his smile.

Breena claps for J'len, then Lanisa, her own box of gifts at her feet,
beaming all the while. Though she's not the hoot and holler type, this one,
she's still practically bouncing in place at all the excitement.

Yselle is caught a little distracted. That's one of /her/ holdmates who's
graduating now, and she offers him a wide grin. Still, after a moment, she
stares down at the knot in her hand and quickly hisses to the person next
to her, and they to the next person, and so on down the line until
/someone/ hisses to Claret. "Quick, it's your turn. Up you go."

V'lano offers more applause for his fellow bronzer, though Volath's
conspicuously interested primarily in the advancement of T'bay toward the
ceremonial walk along the row of staff. Amarie's wave is returned by one
more of his own, and - gazing along the growing ranks of the
weyrlings-made-riders - he joins others in becoming fidgety and light on
the balls of his feet, adding to height by rising up to his toes.

"Well if it was /your/ daughter, would /you/ let her go out with you?"
Doralle hisses to M'tri. "I mean it's - well /you/."

T'bay has the grace to look somewhat abashed as the Weyrlingmaster begins
his words on the weyrling's behalf, his gaze touching groundward for a
moment before a half-inhaled breath returns his resolve to meet the man's
eye. When I'sai has finished, T'bay's eyes widen briefly...did he say that
to the others? Scramble to remember, then clear the confusion from his
eyes. "Thank you, sir. It has been a pleasure serving--" he allows the word
to hang in the air just a moment, until the humor's been established about
what he might be at, then finishes, "under you" with a salute for him, then
for the staff before he moves along toward Emilly.

Claret amplifies her applause, sending a wavering smile after Lanisa and
then a more sure one after T'bay as they receive their knots. The green
knot in Yselle's hand goes unnoticed until the chain of hissing reaches
her. With a little start she steps forward, throwing a quick glance over
her shoulder at Avrieth before continuing in her path.

Emilly laughs at J'len's parting remark then fusses with the sack for a
moment as T'bay steps up, then stills waiting for his approach.
"Congratulations T'bay! Here's your ... oh whoops!" She bends over as her
grip on the knot she was holding slips. When she straightens up again,
sienna-hued threads are accompanied by another knot with the distinctive
patterning of a WingSecond's knot. "Make that Wingsecond T'bay of IceMelt
wing, and that would about cover it," she says grinning from ear to ear.
"May I?" she hovers the knot over the young man's shoulder.

A'tan listens to Doralle chastise M'tri and hisses at her. "Leave him
alone. I think you need to pay attention yourself. I don't see that you
have gotten your riders knot yet either." He glares at her for a moment
before look over at M'tri.

Kassima finds that small smile again when Claret moves forward, watching
this particular knotting keenly. Lysseth, of course, still couldn't care
less. She's now busied herself with raking the ground once more, digging
long furrows with long, curving claws.

M'tri pauses to think about that, then his answer is brief. "Nope. I'd lock
her in a closet and feed her under the door if it kept me away from her."
There's a glance and a thank-you grin given to A'tan, as he adds, "Smart
man, right there."

K'ran's handed yet another box as Lanisa makes her way down the line -- he
must balance the gift in one arm while offering a salute and a handshake
with the other. "Congratulations, Lanisa," he says, with a smile. "Hope you
enjoy this stuff. Maybe share some of it with your da', if you're feeling
generous. Or," he adds, his smile sharpening, "vengeful."

I'sai sees T'bay off with a decided smirk and a, "Welcome," then says to
the tall greenrider as she approaches, "Speaking of humor, Claret. You've
kept yours, and gained more focus, too. Sensitivity and strength make for a
good match - as do you and your Avrieth. Keep working on your confidence;
ask your wingleader and 'seconds - and the other riders - for help when you
need to; and remember the strength that you have -within-." His grin is
quick, sharp as his salute. "Can't wait to see what you two figure out
next, whatever wing you'll get." Seeing her off to Yselle, he makes M'tri
wait even further: through Doralle and a few others, even, until finally
reaching the dark but pale-rippled blue knot.

"Never fear, /I'll/ graduate," Doralle tells A'tan in a superior tone.
"Frankly," she tells M'tri, "So would I. You're a terrible influence on her."

J'len accepts the chest and simply transfers it from his hands to his left
shoulder for ease of transport. "I'll do my best to keep it intact, K'ran."
And then he's switched from weyrlinghood mentee to Telgar Rider as he
salutes K'ran crisply. "Thank you, Weyrleader." He tries to convey his
thanks for K'ran's time as his mentor in his expression and voice. Then,
uncertain if he managed that but knowing there are others coming up behind
him, he makes his way back to Cantaneth's side. Of course he picks a path
that takes him past Amarie, who irregardless of who she's standing with,
gets blown a quick kiss on his way past.

Amarie cheers for T'bay. "I can't believe he's a Wingsecond already!" That
comment is generally for Kassima who she is near, but whether she expects a
reply is unknown. It may not be necessary.

Amarie giggles and pretends to catch that kiss as J'len walks by too. She
holds it close over her heart and smiles at him.

T'bay half leans forward to help retrieve the object Emilly's holding as it
slips, then closely avoids bonking her head as she comes back up. Then he
realizes he's been had, and grins approvingly at her tactics. "Please, if
you would?" He assents, his face set in a permagrin and his teeth don't
move as he speaks the rest, "My hands are shaking under this calm
exterior." Sarevith, for his part, has made soft sounds of cheer, catching
on that this business is good, but he is at the moment more interested in
the noisy marks being drawn across the floor somewhere over yon.

A'tan claps for J'len as he receives his knot and gifts. "Congrats J'len."
He looks back over at Doralle, "You graduating is what I'm afraid of
Doralle." He leaves it at that.

A'tan puts his foot out in front of him a little as Doralle walks by. He
glares at her and then focuses his attention back to M'tri, since he is the
last one to receive his knot.

Kassima mentions to Amarie, pausing briefly in her clapping--which, for
this new rider, is just a shade warmer and louder than it had been--"Closer
in rank t'Weyrling Wingsecond than full rider Wingsecond, I imagine. But
'tis something worth having all the same." Perhaps the festive mood of the
evening is getting to her; that really did sound almost civil.

Lanisa returns the salute, accepts the handshake and then the offered
chest. Everything in it's order. "Thank you sir." All politeness, and then
comes the wicked grin as she pitches her voice not to carry far, "But the
only vengeance on my list is concerning as pillow I should have burned as a
candidate." Maybe he'll remember, but her expression is back to all
sweetness, as she returns to her place in line.

Claret looks torn between a desire to chew her lip nervously or grin, but
the latter winning, she gives I'sai a bright smile along with her salute.
"Thank you, sir." Moving along, she approaches Yselle with a hesitant step,
either from anticipation or anxiety, and pausing in front of her she offers
another small salute.

Yselle is momentarily distracted by the exchange between Doralle and M'tri
- she's frowning - yes, she's perfected that /this/ clutch. Still, she's
all smiles for Claret, saying, "Well done, I bet your gran's proud of you,
and very happy to keep you here with her. Allow me?" she offers the knot
for fastening. "I'm glad you're staying too," she adds.

V'lano tilts his head back to hiss admonishment up at Volath, who turns out
not to be the source of the talon-scrawling sound this time, and stares
balefully down at the little human in draconic confusion. A low 'sorry' is
provided for the bronze's pride and then V'lano's attention clicks back
onto the ceremonies in progress, particularly his onetime holdmate's - just
in time to furrow his brows at the transition of the knot from rider's to
second's.

With her nose in the air, Doralle still manages to avoid A'tan's foot,
hissing, "At least /I/ don't try and injure my clutchmates on graduation day."

"She was like that to start with," M'tri protests coolly, before Doralle is
ripped away from thier argument. Shards. He watches the girl (among others)
recieve thier knots calmly, assuming his dragon's exterior as best he can.
Even with a bit of bobbing here and nudging Daikoth there. Daikoth isn't
having any of this lack of attention, however. M'tri! You're missing your
limelight! Go! So, maybe being shoved by such a big blue head isn't the
most...dignified way to leave the line, but it's what he's been handed, so
the young man makes the best of it. He levels out his stride quickly and
approaches the Weyrlingmaster after one, deep breath. Which he remembers to
release.

A'tan raises a brow in amusement, "Oh I'm sorry. I didn't realize that I
was stretching. Would I try to injure you dear Doralle?" he says quietly as
his brown eyes narrow at her before turning his attention back to I'sai.

Emilly smiles warmly at T'bay and solemnly pins the WingSecond knot to his
shoulder, tweaks it once and nods. "There. Just right," she says and then
looks for a spot for his regular knot. "Hrm ... where to put this ...
you'll need it later on when one of the fine Wingleaders here decides to
muster you into a wing." She moves as if to tuck it down the front of his
shirt, though there's ample space for the new Wingsecond to duck it. "And
K'ran's got something for you just over there," she adds, then holds her
hand out to shake his.

Doralle just gives A'tan one of her superior looks, managing to look all
the way down her nose at him, and, narrowing her own eyes, heads off to
gossip with Roberta, giving Lysseth significant looks, and muttering in an
undertone.

Leonneth hisses at Doralle as she passes by her.

Claret shifts slightly to allow Yselle to pin the knot to her shoulder, her
lips curving again into a smile, and if smaller, that much more sincere.
"Thanks awfully," she replies. As she opens her mouth to continue, however,
Avrieth lets out a little bugle of pride, and Claret's head turns
automatically toward the dragon, her attention resting their for a moment
before returning to Yselle, her smile a bit wider.

Yselle grins over at Avrieth, and says, whilst fastening the knot, "You did
very well too Avrieth. You two are a great team. I look forward to seeing
you fly in the wings. Right now though, K'ran's got presents for you, and
they're certainly worth a look." She grins over to the Weyrleader, adding
for Claret, "Plus, I bet everyone wants to congratulate you."

I'sai's you're-welcome smile to Claret disappears shortly afterward, the
better to eye the oncoming bluerider darkly. That released breath gets a
twitch of a smile: so the boy -can- breathe. "So. M'tri. You've kept your
sense of humor, no doubt about that. And you've settled in too - some. And
you've grown up - some. And you've got more to go. But I think that you're
going to show - you _have_ shown, particularly with your Daikoth, or at
least under his influence - the odd moment of responsibility despite
yourself. For starters, you get to summon everyone to dawn duty in the
morning, 'less they get tapped first." His salute is quick, amused.
"Congratulations. And good luck." And with that, he shuffles the lad off to
Emilly, and the fancy knot she's got for him; the last few weyrlings get
their knots, applause rising for each, until the very last of all is deep
yet pale-glittered bronze.

T'bay stands still for the grooming, the slight pink tinge on his flushed
cheeks doubtless the result of the heat of the, ah, breeze flowing off of
the lake at Telgar. In autumn. Just in time, he grins back at Emilly, then
retrieves the regular rider's knot from inside his shirt. "Enough extra
space in there, should we need to start a holding area for those extra
knots. Though I don't really want to sleep on 'em, so maybe I'll keep this
one in my pocket." That, and it's tucked in, Emilly given a salute, her
handshake returned warmly, and a genuine nod of thanks before T'bay
approaches the Weyr's leader, taking his place in the line of graduates.

K'ran's assistants continue fishing the correct chests out of the
beginning-to-dwindle stack, and -- he aims a laugh after Lanisa, as she
goes -- by the time T'bay's made it over, he's got another at his feet.
"Congratulations, T'bay. A long way from gardening, hm? I hope you enjoy
this stuff." A salute, a handshake, and then he's turning the box over to
its owner.

Lanisa slides back in line, just in time to take her turn smiling brightly
for M'tri now. She holds off on looking in the chest she was given to watch
this instead. And like as not, Doralle's just lucky the other half of team
blooie didn't hear what she'd had to say. After all, she -was- 'like that
to start with.' She listens then to what I'sai has too say to Trii, and
when he's done, she not only claps, but she whistles too. Never mind being
'proper and behaved' now.

Yselle has a little while in between her last two weyrlings. S'fin's taken
a few there. So she has plenty of time to try and get V'lano's attention
and wave him over to I'sai significantly. She offers him a grin as wide as
the one she'd had for T'bay, her eyes twinkling.

Kassima is back to the cooler applause for this new rider, but she adds a
call of, "Felicitations, sweet wife," in a tone dry enough to challenge
Igen. That other knot, now, that one coming up--she smiles for it, a
fractional amount.

"Woo!" That's V'lano, though he cuts it short as the number of voices he
could possibly be blending in among is diminishing. He hails a wave to
T'bay anyway, perhaps more thrilled by his friend's acquisition of the gift
chest than by the second's knot with which he's already familiar. Anyway,
the brief hoot keeps him just a little distracted, meaning that it takes a
double-take at Yselle, wide-eyed - why is she waving and grinning like
that? Oh! - to draw the butcher's son out of position and toward the fore.

M'tri's salute is crisp, neat....slightly shaky. But otherwise flawless. He
even manages a smile at that redundant "some". Lots of truth in that.
"Thank you, Sir." Old habits die hard, but he drops his salute, nods once,
an obvious show of grateful respect for the Weyrlingmaster, before he edges
down the line, to Emilly. But hey, that knot's on it's way, so he spares a
wink for Lani and a chuckle at Kassi as he reaches the aide.

I'sai nods back to M'tri, steady to shaky, and sees him off. Only then does
he turn to greet V'lano, with another of those white, bright smiles.
"Volath's rider," he says, glancing briefly at the dragon. "You used to
define yourself, spoken or unspoken, as being a butcher's boy; that's still
true. And now you're Volath's rider - that's always going to be true, so
long as you both shall live." There's a quiet - _silent_ - moment, pale
eyes grave on dark. "And even as you're with him, part of him, inseparable
from him, now you get to see what sort of man you'll be. Congratulations,
V'lano." And -there's- the name, and the salute. "Let's see what you find
out. And that knot of yours? Go see Yselle for a - variation."

>From T'bay, K'ran's salute returned, then the handshake, firm, as well,
before the youth takes up the cedar chest. "Thank you, sir. They're quite
beautiful, and functional, of course." His brilliant words spoken thus, he
moves along, seeking out familiar faces including those of V'lano, Yselle,
and Amarie, grinning and waving over the top of this new object, like the
befuddled and light-dazed gratuate that he is, only turning as Sarevith
redirects him to be attentive to the words given to V'lano.

J'len's gaze shifts to those who he had set down some bets with before the
ceremony, his expression a triumphant 'pay up, suckers' at the non-subtle
remark I'sai makes to M'tri. So he made some bets on Icemelt leadership. So
who out there in the audience didn't? His shrill whistle joins the others
as the last of the weyrlings are tapped for graduation. As for Doralle's
remarks overheard, he keeps his biting response on just how long it took
her to finish some of the later lessons, such as betweening, solidly to
himself.

Something causes V'lano to straighten his back and shoulders, collecting
himself into a much more proper appearance of formality. He sketches a
glance overshoulder at Volath, then another at Dianneth, then forces his
attention onto I'sai with tunnelvision determination. As I'sai's speech
sobers, so does the young man's face, dark eyes fixed on the
Weyrlingmaster's pale ones. At the end, he forces a wan smile, a shaking
salute, a weak nod, and an almost lost-in-the-hubbub, "Thank you, sir."
Past I'sai he continues, steps steady for all that the rest of his motor
control seems defeated, toward Yselle.

Emilly sorts out M'tri's knot, grinning at the bluerider as he draws near.
"Good job M'tri," she says simply and moves to help him pin on that
WingLeader's knot if he allows. "I'm sure you'll make us all proud with
this until you get tapped," she notes of the fancy knot. The other plainer
knot, she holds out to him to do with as he wills. Then again, her palm is
held out for shaking, smile bright across her face. "And don't forget to
keep sharing those amazing pictures of Daikoth's. Now just step down to
K'ran for your gift, and enjoy."

Claret's mouth quirks at Yselle's comment, but instead of offering a reply
she just nods, moving onward to K'ran and offering yet another crisp
salute. Standing to attention, she eyes the remaining packages as
inconspicuously as possible, with a suspicious curiosity.

Yselle casts a look at I'sai out of the corner of her eye, just raising an
eyebrow at him before turning her attention to V'lano. "You've done Lemos
Minehold proud," she tells him. "I hope you won't be disappointed with your
new knot," she offers him the most innocent look before offering him a
replacement for his wingsecond knot. It's... a wingsecond knot, in the
distinctive hue to match his lifemate. "Although if you want some variety,
maybe I'sai can be convinced to change his mind," she mentions, most
innocently. "I have faith in his judgement though." She smiles, and for the
boy she saw grow up, offers a hand, to squeeze his, if she can, before
offering to fix his knot for him.

I'sai looks after V'lano, pale eyes slanted sideways, brows drawn; and then
he flexes his hands, shakes them out. Nods, briefly, to assistants and
aide. And when there seems to be a quiet moment, "They're all yours,
Weyrleader."

"We'll work on scribbling his name off most of them, now, ma--Emilly,"
M'tri assures, allowing the knot to be pinned on his shoulder. He takes the
other knot, glances at it once, and gently puts it in his pocket. His
handshake is more firm and steady than his salute to the Weyrlingmaster.
"Thanks again," he adds to her, then ambles on down further.

"Felicitations," Kassi repeats for V'lano without the earlier qualifier,
but with a ghost of genuine pleasure in its place. "You'll do a good job
with the role. Probably."

K'ran's struggling with a box as Claret arrives, and so he must, again,
balance it in an arm while giving her a salute and a handshake with the
other. "Hey," he says to her, with a grin. "Congratulations, Claret. This
is from everybody -- the whole weyr's proud of you." And with that, he
hands over the chest.

V'lano bends very slightly to allow the knot to find its place at Yselle's
hands. "Thank you," he repeats for her as he did for I'sai, though his
voice has quelled somewhat its tremble. "I'll make what I can of it."
That's afforded as much for Kassima, at whom he steals a dark-eyed stare,
as for the elder Lemos rider who's got that knot to put on him.

Emilly smiles at M'tri again, then folds up the now empty sack and sticks
it under her arm. She looks around looking somewhat ... bereft and takes a
deep breath, then lets it out, sliding over I'sai and Yselle-wards with a
lopsided grin. "And off they go," she murmurs to Weyrlingmaster and Assistant.

A'tan stands now shifting back and forth as the last of the weyrlings get
their new knots. He smiles at the three who are afforded the leadership
roles and nods as M'tri gets the one of Wingleader. He claps loudly for
them before finally standing still, waiting for the ceremony to come to a
close.

Amarie continues to clap and cheer for the weyrlings, although her clapping
stuttered once when Roberta accepted her knot. V'lano gets alot of clapping
though and another attempt at whistling.

"And you'll be wanting this for later," Yselle says, offering V'lano a
second knot - a plain ordinary bronzerider's knot, but in the exact hue of
his lifemate. "When you're tapped. I'm sure that'll be soon. Meanwhile
there's presents, and I'm sure T'bay and Breena will want to celebrate with
you when K'ran's done with you." She returns T'bay's look with another
grin, and then she's heading over to I'sai and Emilly, with a determined
look on her face.

Lanisa's gaze barely flickers here and there as it did before. No, she
watches M'tri still, and claps on for him and the others. Each of them
given smiles as well when she gets the chance.

Claret takes the chest, her arms dropping a bit at its unexpected weight.
She peers at it curiously for a moment before remembering her place and
offering a small smile and a more brisk nod for the Weyrleader. "Thank you,
sir." That done, she moves off toward the rest of the graduated weyrlings.

T'bay's brow sneaks upward as the last set of knots are conferred, nodding
as the assignments are noted, and applause for all his fellows is shared
openly. "Hey, you and me, Vel. Even though our boys are slower, we can
outsize him easy," comes the teasing words of one of the wingseconds to
their new wingleader as he joins the line, his cedar chest still held,
closed, in his arms.

Kassima shifts, fidgets some at the stare, her arms folding beneath her
chest again now that there seems no more call for clapping. "Well done, all
of you," she mutters, probably not even loudly enough to carry.

"We'll -all- want to celebrate," breathes V'lano with a grin, finally
half-relaxed as the second knot passes into his hands. "Thank you again."
And then he moves on toward K'ran, running tongue over teeth to calm a
resurgence of anxiety.

I'sai moves to meet Emilly and Ys and the others, in his turn, and he
cracks his knuckles for good measure. "What do you think, do -we- need to
be up for dawn drills?" he says, jokingly, only it turns out more
reflectively dry.

Yselle is unpinning her own knot as she approaches I'sai. Wordlessly, she
removes it, and offers it to him. After a moment, she says, "Great clutch,"
she says in a careful tone. "Here. Thanks for asking me. It was - thank you."

Emilly snorts and shakes her head. "Definitely not. I plan on sleeping in
and very soundly at that too," she says and then lets out another long
sigh. "Though perhaps there's a drink out there calling my name first," she
says with a grin now.

Telgar Weyr> A'tan waves and heads out. Night Telgar

Telgar Weyr> Yselle says, "Thanks for coming, A'tan. :)"

Telgar Weyr> Lanisa snugs :)

The stack of boxes that K'ran is managing has dwindled substantially, to
the point where the Weyrleader's dismissed his assistant; he hefts up yet
another one of the cedar chests as M'tri arrives in front of him. A salute,
a handshake, a smile: "Jays, you made it," he teases. "There was betting on
whether you'd graduate or punch someone out, first. Congratulations, M'tri,
from the whole of the weyr. Well done." And then the gift is handed over.

"I'd hope you bet for my graduation, Sir," M'tri says with a grin after his
salute and handshake. He learns from everyone else, finishing off those
simple tasks before picking up the chest and joining the rest of the group.

I'sai shakes his head for the knot; "Keep it, Ys," he says. "For old - good
times." He considers her for a moment, then agrees with Emilly, "Something
to be said for sleeping. Also, a drink - and did I hear something about
getting out the Harpers? Don't know if K'ran mightn't have something else
to say first, though, before we run off."

T'bay, as one who ought to be a role model of some kind, just stands there
dumbly holding the weyr's gift, waiting to hear if they're scheduled to be
up early, and he exhales a slow breath after Emilly's words, thinking them
a possible good sign. After that breath is out, he inhales slowly, deeply,
and ooohs at the cedar's scent. "Good wood," he murmurs. "Though true,
Claret, heavy. Weyr's got good taste."

S'fin even does a couple little crowhops, "Dawn drills! Dawn drills! But
not for me!"

Telgar Weyr> V'lano says, "S'fin is now fixed in my mind as a magpie."

Telgar Weyr> Lanisa laughs!

Telgar Weyr> M'tri saw the crows from Dumbo, actually.

Yselle looks over to K'ran, thoughtfully watching him hand out the last of
the boxes, "I don't know," she says. "I've no idea when he wants me to
start drilling with them again." She eyes the knot, then pockets it.
"Okay," she says. "But I dare say what he says will be for them now." She
considers her fellow team-members and says, "I don't know about you, but -
" eyeing S'fin, "I just want to let them celebrate."

And, at length, the last of the boxes: V'lano's, as the fresh-minted
bronzerider arrives in front of the Weyrleader. "I think you've earned this
thing, butcher," he says, and offers -- as he has with each of the others
-- the salute, the handshake, and the smile before passing over the chest.
"Congratulations." He slides a look back over toward I'sai, and supposes,
"I might, sure. Real quick, though."

Telgar Weyr> I'sai says, "Totally."

Kassima flicks a glance towards the knot of Weyrlingmasters, another
towards a knot of new riders; then she's wheeling about to tell Lysseth
acidly, "I don't *care*. We're nay leaving, and the reason's because
'twould please you too much, 'twill have you know." Thankfully, there's
S'fin to distract her from such matters. Blink. Blink. "You," she informs
him, "have completely gone around the bend."

"Still, we should listen," I'sai says quietly to the others nearby. "In
case. - But yeah; we should let 'em have their day." K'ran's reply confirms
it, and he says, "Let's wait."

Amarie laughs at S'fin's antics. She waits for a signal that all ceremonies
are over. She's got a group of weyrlings to go hug.

Juggle, wobble, salute. V'lano gets the chest in one arm, where it's not
really wanting to stay without the help of the other hand. He piles his
superfluous knot atop it, then manages the salute and the handshake,
between each slapping the hand against the cedar to keep it from wobbling
right off of his arm. Finally he's joining the others, seeking out T'bay to
stand next to him - after giving M'tri an abbreviated, if proper, salute
and a wry enough grin. To his previous holdmate, he leans in: "Just one
misstep with a big paw and - "

Claret shifts a bit closer to T'bay, a grin spreading across her lips as
she inspects the box a bit more closely. "I don't think I've heard you talk
about wood in more than a -turn-," she informs T'bay. "Perhaps graduation
will do that to you. And all kinds of other funny things." Poking at the
lid, she offers a vague, "Oh! And congratulations," as her eyes slide
warily over to S'fin.

Emilly plucks at her own shoulder echoing Yselle's motion, unthreading
Telgari colors from Reaches and looks at the little pile of white and black
in her hand. "Feels funny taking these colors off again. It'd just started
to feel normal again." Then she's looking over toward where K'ran hands out
the last of the presents. "Mm - definitely time to celebrate," she says,
grinning at both now, brightly, before she quiets to pay attention.

K'ran draws a short breath before pitching his voice to carry. "New
riders," he announces. "Out of the goodness of my heart, and respect for
the strength of the spirits you'll no doubt be consuming this evening,
you've got tomorrow off. *After* *that*, though, you'll be flying with the
reserve wing for the next couple-three sevendays -- you'll drill for
resupply. At some point you'll get a tap on the shoulder from a Wingleader.
Try not to startle, much less bite."

"Some of us bite back," Kassi promises, tone a little too dire.

J'len steps up to join the others in the group of new riders, his chest
casually tucked up under one arm. On the way, he collects a suprisingly
tidy number of quarter- and half-marks from some of the attending riders as
well as trading good natured jibes for their missing the 'obvious bets'.
"Any idea what's in these," is his first question to the others as he
settles in with them. He's definitely looking like he's in a mood to
celebrate, and K'ran's last parting gift of an off-day gets a cheer
followed by a quick chuckle at the biting remark. "Ya here that, T'bay? No
mistaking that Wingleader's hand for a bubbly."

Yselle glances between them. "After his talk then. I don't want to cramp
their style, and..." she shrugs sheepishly, "I kind of want to feel it too,
you know? That we're just wingmates out together instead of responsible,
before..." she looks at both of them, even, briefly, the hopping S'fin,
"Before we're all tossed off to different wings."

T'bay gives his attention, split, to the Weyrleader where he stands bereft
of assistants and little wooden boxes, the Weyrlingmaster's gathering staff
and the discussion of will they/won't they get to sleep in, Claret, to whom
he laughs, "I know. I guess I've been thinking so much about other things,
that it went right out of my mind. Maybe one day I'll work with it again,
who knows," and that goes right to Vel with a snicker, "It wouldn't take
much, you know.--say, is Emilly going back, or staying on here? I can't
tell what she's--day off!" A whoop, and if he had a hat, it would be in the
air, but instead, he just grins. "Yes, sir!" He echoes, his voice joining
in with those of a few other fresh graduates. "Aw! I now crave bubbly like
no tomorrow, thanks, J'len!" Lower, he adds, "Kassi look as much to you
like she'll bite as she does to me?"

K'ran, now, slides that look back down toward I'sai and his assistants.
"That's... all I have, really," he says, with a sheepish sort of smile.
"I'm not very profound, am I?"

M'tri bares his teeth at that as he weaves through the rest of the
graduated riders to Lani. After a moment of grinning at her, he holds his
hands out, palms up. "Lookit that. We made it, and your Da let me graduate.
Wonderful soul that he is." Pause. Then for T'bay's sake: "I think she'd
use a knife before she bit...but I could be wrong. And for the record, I'd
rather have something that burns my throat as it goes down over a bubbly at
this point."

Emilly nods at Yselle's words. "Or Weyrs ..." she tacks on quietly, smiling
a little as the sounds of happy graduates bounce off the Bowl's walls.

Now that most of the weyrlings have dispersed into groups, Amarie makes her
way through dragons and graduated weyrlings alike to try to find her
friends. It helps that J'len is so tall as she finally finds her way next
to him to offer, "Congratulations! You're a rider!" And grin up at him.

Lanisa laughs brightly for that, replying with an amused smile, "If he was
going to hold you back Trii, he'd have better held me back too. Because I
can talk back again." And with a wink she places her hands in M'tri's, but
she seconds with a grin to T'bay. "She'd show you her K throwing pattern,
more than likely."

I'sai chuckles; "Made 'em happy. They'll think well of you for that," he
says to K'ran. Turning back to the other two, make that three with S'fin
wandering over, some of the other assistants dispersed through the crowd,
"Yeah. Enough about responsibility. See if anyone wants to say hello more
informally, maybe, and then - somewhere warm, I'm thinking, with the sea
air rustling through the grass."

Kassima has taken advantage of the chance to finally get away from her
tetchy lifemate, and as luck would have it, her quiet course has taken her
fairly near a certain group of maleriders. "Oh, I don't know," she drawls.
"I'd probably only bite if'n 'twere in a *very* good mood. The knife is
considerably more likely. But nay tonight. I'm behaving m'self in all your
honors, which I hope is appreciated."

"She sounds it," V'lano admits, carefully not looking toward his mentess -
or mentess-no-more, perhaps luckily enough. Instead he grins openly at the
reunion of J'len and Amarie, then nudges T'bay in the arm with his elbow,
flicks another salute to M'tri with an excuse - "Going to try to mingle - "
and does so, wandering through the crowd. If he keeps an eye out for a
certain other weyrling - well, he's more than happy to leave it at keeping
an eye peeled, offering greetings and gratitude to anyone he finds along
the way. Like, if he can get close enough, I'sai.

J'len nods to M'tri, "Here, here." T'bay's question gets a slight, slow nod
to confirm the Lemosian's guess. And is that a shade of worry at the back
of the bronzerider's eyes? Probably just something in the air. He sets his
chest down and rests one foot up on top of it as K'ran finishes his parting
words. If he were a betting man, and he is apparently, he's guess that...
yep, there she is. His smile is broad and untroubled as he opens his arms
to Amarie as she approaches. "Aye, we are. I'm glad you could make it."

Emilly nods at I'sai's words. "Warm ... would be very good," she says
agreeably and winks S'fin's way. "Wouldn't you say? And a skin of something
potent but tasty." Then she's drifting in amongst the crowd to offer those
mentioned more informal greetings and congratulations.

Amarie hugs J'len openly, since she can. "You're next," She informs T'bay,
just to let him know he shouldn't go anywhere. She hugs J'len for the
longest time it seems, saying, "I wouldn't have missed this for anything.
I'm so proud of all of you. All my friends." Once she's done hugging J'len,
T'bay gets turned to next for a congratulation hug if he wants one.

S'fin grimaces, then grins; I'sai promptly says, "It's a deal. Tell Tear
when you all are ready." He turns to speak with a few more, then, Doralle
among them; and then when she moves on, there's V'lano.

Yselle grins at Emilly and I'sai. "Warm. Mm, with no weyrlings, and..." she
eyes her knotless state, and laughs. "You know, this was great wasn't it?"
and that warm smile is for both of them.

M'tri grins, taking Lani's hands and stepping closer to her, wincing
profoundly at Kassi's statement. "I think we all appreciate that," he tells
her, tipping off his salute to the departing V'lano before enfolding Lani
in a hug. His husband is apparently, though not entirely, forgotten for the
moment.

T'bay aies and hides his hands behind the cedar box, out of the way of
stray knives, but soon this becomes inconvenient as he tries to hug people.
He spreads out hugs, finds himself face to face with Doralle, and the two
stare at each other blankly for a moment before hugging anyway, then T'bay
is left to blink at Kassima while Doralle converses with S'fin and I'sai.
"Uh...thank you?" he says softly, desperate eyes watching V'lano make a
getaway. "We're, ah, honored to have you here." And look! There's Amarie!
He quickly hugs her, "How are you? My, it has been ages!"

K'ran, for his part, melts into the crowd -- better the evening be spent
between teachers and students. Nevertheless, he does stop near enough to
J'len to give the big young man another grin, and an unabashed thumbs-up
gesture, once he and Amarie part. "I wanted to just say, one more time --
congratulations, J'len. The knot suits you."

I'sai confirms over his shoulder to Ys, "'Twas."

"I wanted to thank you, si - " V'lano blinks, then raises his shoulders and
drops them. "Sir," he finishes, anyway. "For the opportunities, and the
perspective." His chin dips, then raises, dark eyes somber though a smile
tugs at the corners of his mouth, producing shallow brackets in his cheeks.

"I'm doing good T'bay. Oh my goodness, look at you!" Amarie steps back to
look T'bay over. "Your clothes are just /hanging/ off you! You look so
good! I can't believe how muscular you've gotten!" She grins at him. "Looks
like weyrlinghood agreed with you as much as it did J'len!" She leans back
towards J'len to prop one arm around his waist if he'll let her.

Emilly looks back as well, smiling at Yselle warmly. "Yes ... and I'd do it
all over again in a heartbeat if I could," she adds before she's stopping
to shake a stray Weyrling's hand and offer some quiet words of congratulation.

"Oh," says Kassima, voice as level as the look she gives both M'tri and
T'bay; which is to say, very level indeed, "I just bet. Congratulations.
All that stuff. Y'know the drill." She makes some flapping motions with her
hands, then leans enough to mutter a little too audibly to Lani, "Remember
what I said, about kneeing--" And she straightens again, scanning her
surroundings for any sign whatsoever of alcohol.

"We do." Lani agrees, but then, she'd already told Kassi that before. Not
that saying so again isn't nice. But then, getting caught up in a hug is
rather nice as well. And certainly not the sort of thing she turns down as
she wraps her arms about Trii with a smile just for him.

Yselle just grins at I'sai, and mentions to Emilly, "Say it loud enough and
you might find yourself doing it again next clutch." She tiptoes, looking
around and then says, "I suppose I'd better do it for the hold," Which
apparently means trap T'bay, and just grin at him. "Dianneth tells me
you're all grown up now. - Hey Amarie."

J'len is openly loathe to let Amarie out of his arms now that he can
embrace her openly without inviting discipline. But then it's time for
T'bay to get his hug from the Assistant Headwoman and he lets go
reluctantly before returning K'ran's thumbs-up with a broad grin. "Thanks
again, sir. I hope you're not thinking to slink off somewhere and avoid the
various rounds of celebrating that are sure to follow?" He easily settles
into the arm-draped embrace with Amarie; her arm around his waist, his
around her fur-wrapped shoulders.

I'sai looks at V'lano then, steadily, and if there's a touch of a chuckle
to the man's hasty rephrasing, the humor's shared. "Glad to," he says, easy
as he can be when he's not walking on thorns, from the line of his
shoulders in those dark leathers to the balanced stance of boots. "And, you
know - I'm not in charge of you, any longer; might be easier, if you want
to talk some other time. Strangers, possibly, right at first." - "Different."

"Kneeing--?" M'tri says, frowning only momentarily. He changes it back into
a grin as he draws away, sticks one hand in his pocket and leaves the other
in Lani's hand. He notes Amarie with a grin, pointing: "What'd you bet on
them?" he inquires lightly of Lanisa, casting about for spirits as well.

T'bay flushes slightly, looking at his clothing. "This is new--er, even. My
old things I had to have sent back home, or alter them. You look great,
though. Wow, is that from Jaler--I mean, J'len's finds?" He gestures to the
cloak, then gives Kassima a wary, very wary, several feet of distance, his
knees drawing just a tad closer together, self protectively. "Yes,
all...that...stuff," he trails off, weakly, delighting in the arrival of
Yselle as well. "She does?" he half laughs, half chokes. "As long as I've
her seal of approval, it can't be all bad. And if she ever decides she
wants the rest of that shirt she started eating, I've saved it."

"Well," K'ran answers, with a hint of a grimace. "Actually? I've got to be
up for dawn drills tomorrow. So, yeah, I was going to try and sneak out
quietly. But there will be tipping back of drinks both fruity and strong,
before too too long. I promise." He'll pause, and glances toward Amarie
before telling J'len, "Guests would, of course, be welcome."

"It is," Amarie looks pleased that T'bay noticed her cloak. "He gave it to
me about a sevenday ago as a turnday gift. Belated." She grins up at J'len
and leans up to whisper something to him before she turns to Yselle to
greet, "Hello Weyrsecond Yselle, ma'am." She grins. "How is your daughter?"

Yselle snorts. "As if you ever didn't," she says to T'bay. "You know she's
always had a soft spot for you two. Even more so now that she can fly with
Sarevith and that he's happy to try the acrobatics without showing her up,"
she grins, adding, "Wow, who ever knew we'd end up here?" she looks over to
V'lano too, but he's caught up in conversation. Instead she answers Amarie,
"Oh I don't know I'm that again, yet..." she eyes K'ran questioningly.
"Roselle's fine. Just gone through another teething, so she's settled
again. Happy belated birthday."

Emilly swings by M'tri and Lanisa, smiling. "Hey you two, again,
congratulations."

"Yes. Well." V'lano grins, eased into allowing the temptation of jollity
run the length of his mouth with its weighty curve. He has some trouble
finding anything weighty to say, however, and after a silence that begins
to dampen that smile, settles for, "I think so. Maybe soon." He breathes,
salutes - uncertainly, as the space around them is beginning to feel more
like a celebration and less like a ceremony - and excuses himself away.

"So," Roberta says, sliding up to Lanisa, "Where're /you/ spending
tonight?" she waggles her eyebrows at M'tri.

Kassima allows a slight and sardonic smile to twist her expression. "Nay
worries. 'Twould be most ill-mannered of me t'offer mayhem to new riders on
this of all days." She nods slightly to M'tri and Lanisa too, and--having
spotted a tray of drinks, brought hither by some wise soul--glides
that-a-way, to appropriate as much of the cache as she can get away with.

"When you've the whim. Look me up," I'sai returns, flicks a smile at
V'lano, and disappears amidst the crowd; he does pop up again briefly to
grin at Kassima from the safety of the drink tray's other side, and to
later wave at Amarie and a few other visitors, before vanishing again in
truth.

Emilly looks up and over the lake suddenly and murmurs something about
green dragons and oil and marches off to tend to Sionath.

"Just some advice from Kassi about if we have any disagreements later on."
Lani replies carefully, though she gives the hand she's left with a light
squeeze, followed by a one shouldered shrug and another smile. She glances
after Amarie and J'len, "Hmm, I think I said in a turn." Though she doesn't
say a turn for what, not just then. Kassima gains a smile, "Thanks again,
Kassi. For everything, eh." And she nods then to Emilly, "Thank you,
ma'am." Old habits? But for Roberta, says in place of an answer, "Well. We
all know where -you- won't be."

T'bay claps his hands over his mouth, surprise etched in his features.
"Your turnday! Oh, I had completely forgotten. I can't believe how much
time has passed. Happy turnday." A headshake, then he dares to finger the
soft fur admiringly, winking to Yselle. "I doubt he could ever give her a
run in acrobatics," he agrees. "He's much too large for that, but he sure
loves to fly, and he's glad for her mentorship and company." A little
exhale of relief is uttered as Kassi makes her slip away, like the static
in the area has decreased somewhat.

Telgar Weyr> Emilly goes to faceplant. G'night Telgar:) Weyrlings - congrats:)

Telgar Weyr> I'sai says, "Night! Congrats! Night!"

Telgar Weyr> Yselle smooches the Em.

Telgar Weyr> M'tri snugsa departing!

Telgar Weyr> Kassima says, "G'night, Em."

J'len nods to K'ran, understanding both the sneaking away and the reasons
for same. "We'll be certain to tip a few back in your absence." Then he's
leaning down to hear Amarie's whisper; and while he doesn't errupt into a
blush there's certainly an upraising of eyebrows. "We'll just have to see
how the party goes," is his only audible response to her. Then he smiles to
Yselle's arrival and smiles back to K'ran. "You've been a tremendous help
to me the last seasons, Weyrleader. I look forward to riding for Telgar
like I never did for Honshu."

Amarie lets T'bay touch the fur of her ghost fur cloak. "Thank you," she
grins at T'bay. She, herself, probably spent hours touching it after she
got the cloak. There's a fascination for things much softer than human
skin. However, she soon has to break her hold around J'len as well as leave
T'bay without the fur, as she spots V'lano and makes her way over to hug
him in congratulations. "Hey you!" She grins at V'lano. "You've changed
too!" M'tri and Lanisa will probably be on her attack list for hugs soon
too. Roberta, will probably be excluded some.

"The more the merrier," Roberta tells Lanisa cheerfully. "I always thought
you were kind of cute, Lani."

Kassima slants a dark look to I'sai for the grin over the rim of her glass
of wine. Which is already mostly depleted, and it takes her all of two
seconds to polish it off and start on the next. She does cast a glance
towards Lanisa and a faint nod for her words, managing to force her mouth
into at least the semblance of a return smile.

"And we'll look forward to having you ride, here, J'len," answers K'ran,
his smile turned a touch self-conscious. "As for the help? Don't mention it
-- it was a priviledge, a joy, and I hope just the beginning of a
friendship, hm?" With that, though, he gives Amarie's companion a quick
wave, and then slips back into the crowd.

M'tri says "Appreciate everything," M'tri tells Emilly before the
greenrider departs. He lifts his free hand to wave. Slowly, though, he
turns to gaze at Roberta and shake his head at her. "Did you miss that
flights lecture? You know, you should never mess with the Wingleader's
/anything/?" One brow quirks and a smile that's much to sweet lights his
face."

Yselle grins at T'bay. "And that of course, is part of the appeal. He's not
supposed to show her up, after all. Hey, listen, good luck with being
tapped, and don't fret about it. Everyone gets tapped in good time, and
you've a lot of responsibility as it is," she indicates his knot. "You
know, we never had that party, remember when you first arrived, and then
you got searched, and we couldn't? You, me, V'lano, Enwi and Tel. Now that
you're graduated, we should do that one day. Maybe all go home and show off
to them all."

K'ran heads in the direction of the central bowl, leaving the shimmering lake.

V'lano returns Amarie's hug with perhaps a little too much enthusiasm,
though her frame surely can withstand -his- affection - it's already taken
a hug from J'len! "Oh, Amarie. It's so good to see you - I mean, ma'am,"
but this is teasing, even sassy, as he pulls back to look at her with wry
eyes.

Lanisa's reply to Roberta is not actually voiced -to- her this time. She
only looks at her as she calls, "Kassi.. can I barrow your knives again.
Mine are still in Da's weyr..." But for M'tri's words she breaks off with a
giggle and leans a shoulder against his, "You tell her, Trii."

Amarie gives V'lano a big bear hug too, pulling back to say, "Not as good
as it is to see you V'lano." She grins up at him. "Ma'am?" She clucks her
tongue, "Tsk." A giggle escapes. "I'm not a ma'am at all anymore and if you
call me that, I'll be calling you old man instead of Sir!" And then she
looks smart alecky as she says, "Although I should be calling you
bronzerider..eh?" She sticks her tongue out at V'lano and grins up at him,
beaming like a proud parent.

T'bay grins at all those assembled, releasing the soft fur as Amarie walks
away. "Nice cloak," he murmurs to its likely creator, then he's nodding to
Yselle. "I know. It's hard not to worry, though, and hope I'm making a good
impression." With a laugh, he adds, "Nono! I know I made a good Impression.
Silly dragon, of course I adore you." He shakes his head, then adds, "I'd
forgotten! We should gather the group of us, spend a while catching up. I
feel like I've missed most of what has happened since thread stopped
falling, being in training." That said, he's excusing himself for a moment
from the celebration to check on Sarevith, who is digging in the sand
playfully. Afterwards, of course, it is a return to party time!

Kassima glances over to Lani. "A'course," is her cool reply, the request
evidently taken seriously. She tosses back the rest of the wine with a gulp
and drifts to where Lysseth yet reclines to retrieve the leather bundle
from earlier and bring it back to Lanisa. "Only you must clean and oil and
sharpen them when you're done."

Yselle just grins at the group, and then carefully extracts herself. "Have
a good night," she says. "Enjoy your chance to relax," and then she's
slipping off, in the direction the other weyrlingmasters took.

Yselle heads in the direction of the central bowl, leaving the shimmering
lake.

T'bay heads in the direction of the central bowl, leaving the shimmering lake.

Sarevith lumbers in the direction of the central bowl, leaving the
shimmering lake.

"Must you?" V'lano smirks at Amarie, then releases her - but as he does, he
leans forward a bit to murmur, "I think I thought of a gift." Leaning back,
louder: "Will you excuse me? I know J'len wants as much of your time as he
can get." To his credit, the bronzer does not waggle a brow, nor twinkle
-too- much in the eyes, but his smile does take on a certain dry
narrowness. Then he's off among the crowd, seeking out a certain blonde head.

V'lano climbs onto a foreleg, then swings up between Volath's neckridges.

Volath lumbers in the direction of the central bowl, leaving the shimmering
lake.

Calling out to V'lano, Amarie says, "You better tell me what it is!" She
ventures towards M'tri and Lanisa next. She'll get back to J'len eventually.

J'len smiles to T'bay at the remark about the cloak. No, he wasn't its
creator. Just the one that got mauled by the pelt's original owner. He
makes his way over to M'tri and Lanisa, the broad grin now fairly much a
permanent fixture, especially when he sees Kassima bringing her knives over
for Lani's 'special needs' uses.

M'tri watches with satisfaction as Roberta, obviously won, huffs away.
That's not to say she doesn't glare at Kassi for her knife providing, and
then Lani for asking for them, but eventually she disappears into the
crowd--no doubt to harass someone else. M'tri waves innocently to her,
catching Amarie in the corner of his eye and greeting her with a bright,
"Amarie!"

Amarie waves back and moves up to take M'tri into a tight hug. "M'tri! My
goodness you've grown so much too!" She steps back after hugging him tight,
in order to look him over. There's a bit of a tear in her eye as she says
almost teasingly, "You've done your Mum proud son!" She brings up their old
joke, providing a big smile for him.

"Anything for you, mummy dearest," M'tri teases right back, petting her
cloak interestedly for a couple seconds before drawing back and immediately
taking up station beside Lani again. "I've grown, eh? Maybe some."

Lanisa pauses, about to accept the leather wrapped bundle, then laughs,
calling after Roberta when she retreats, "Maybe some other time then. They
really are so perfectly balanced for a good toss." She grins back at Kassi,
"I guess she doesn't appreciate the finer points of a good throwing knife."
And softer, "You still want me to tend them?" After all, they did their job
already. And now Amarie and J'len get bright smiles, "You look great in
that, Amarie."

Amarie giggles. She's getting used to those around her touching her cloak.
"My goodness, did J'len tell everyone he was having this made?" She grins
at Lanisa and says, "Thanks!" She reaches out to hug her female friend. "I
can't believe it's been so long! They're all grown up now aren't they?" She
looks at Daikoth, Tisiath and Cantaneth, her gaze lingering on him a bit.

Kassima shakes her head, the forelock that's not bound by braids falling
into her eyes. "Nay need, then, since you haven't used them," she says,
hugging the bundle to herself. "I'm going t'find more liquor, methinks."
Which she does, efficient at that if nothing else.

M'tri grins. "Nope, it just looks soft," M'tri admits, glancing over his
shoulder to relocate the liquor--coincidentally, at the same time Kassi
does. "I think I need some of that too," he decides with a grin at the two
women. "But, I'm going to go that way," and he points in the opposite
direction of Kassi's chosen path. "I shall return," he promises, before
weaving through the path on his search.

J'len shakes his head as he steps up, "Actually, I like thi think I managed
to keep it a secret. Even around that busybody." He salutes M'tri
mockingly, "Thanks for winning me a load of marks, Trii. I'll be sure to
buy a round in your honor when the drinking starts." He pats one side of
his vest where he's tucked the mark pieces he's collected already. Over on
the sand where he'd been resting before all this ceremony and clapping
started, Cantaneth stands up and walks over to be nearer to his rider and
the others now that the space has started to clear of sand-hogging dragons.
Not that he's a sand-hog. He only takes up the space that a dragon of his
stature is entitled to.

M'tri swings onto Daikoth's neck with the help of a proffered foreleg.

"He didn't, actually." Lani replies, giving J'len a sidelong look. And then
glancing at Tisiath, "Actually, I think he's still growing some. It's
slower now, but..." To Kassi she smiles, "Thanks again, Kassi. They are
lovely knives." She smiles warmily before Trii heads off, "I'll catch up
with you in a bit." And then to J'len, "Did he?"

Daikoth lumbers in the direction of the central bowl, leaving the
shimmering lake.

Kassima nods faintly to Lani again as she passes, this time on the way back
to her dragon with a full mug of something that smells rather strongly of
alcohol in hand. How exactly she manages to mount up and take her leave
without spilling it is a mystery; perhaps it's something that comes with
practice. Lots and lots of practice. "Felicitations again," she calls out
to the Lake in general, remote, and then they're gone.

You place one hand on Lysseth's neck and she warbles down at you fondly.
You grin and scratch her eyeridges once before climbing up onto her lower
neckridges, using the riding straps and Lysseth's thoughtfully offered
foreleg.

<*> Amarie waves to Kassima, and then asks, "J'len did you think something
was wrong with Kass?" She looks concerned for a moment. "She seemed really
snappy when I was with her earlier. Did I do something wrong?"

<*> J'len nods to Lanisa, "Aye. There was some idle wagering on which of us
would get the 'big knots' at graduation. I had M'tri pegged as wingleader
against long odds of I'sai playing the 'overprotective daddy' card and
keeping him back a few days just to be contrary." He grins as M'tri goes on
a booze-hunt. "My faith has likely bought me the furniture for my new weyr,
provided it's got a higher ceiling that my current one." He smiles softly
to Amarie and moves to put his arm back gently around her shoulders. "It's
not you, love." He nods towards Lysseth and her rider as they depart.
"Given Lysseth's color, I'd have to guess that this is how Kassi gets when
her green is proddy."

<*> Lysseth spreads her wings to their full extent, bringing them down with
a rush of wind as she leaps nimbly into the air.

You spring into the air and catch the thermals rising from the bowl floor
to carry you aloft.