Written In The Stars [Site Event - WA Grad]

The evening had gone pretty smoothly so far. S'kef was pleased, but admittedly bored. He knew these parties had plenty of significance and he didn't necessarily mind the festivities, but being stuck at them was definitely an unforeseen downside of his new post. He sighed and straightened himself in his seat, brown eyes scanning the crowd. At least everyone seemed to be relaxed. That was a nice change; Katila had been riddled with too much sorrow and tension over the turns, too many bad memories and unhappy people. D'ren had been right when he fretted about their differences tearing them apart. At least the old fool was right about something.

I'll be speaking soon. Are there any more coming?

Not currently

S'kef nodded and laced his fingers together in front of him. Very well. Better now than never.  He said nothing to Tsuen as he rose to his feet and lifted one hand, calling for the crowd's attention. He caught a sour expression coming from Tsuen. Undoubtedly she was annoyed that he'd begun without consenting, but fuck her.

"Good evening," S'kef said, trying not to smirk with self-satisfaction as his voice carried over the crowd. It almost excited him, how they fell silent at his word! "On behalf of myself and the leadership of Katila, I would like to welcome everyone to this evening's festivities. Tonight, we're celebrating a very special moment in the lives of some of our young riders. Their graduation not only represents their own success, but our hope for the future," he said as he motioned to some of the familiar graduates in the mass before him.

"Before we get underway, I want to take a moment to thank the graduating class for their hard work under less than ideal circumstances. The last few turns have been difficult for all of us, but I personally believe your success may stand as hope for all of us. I know many of you were placed in a compromising position by my predecessor, but as far as I am concerned, we are all in this together." He couldn't help but cast a glance at Tsuen and smirk, his unspoken pleasure all but obvious on his face. He didn't care who knew. That wench's days in her throne were numbered.

He wasn't exactly lying. They were all stuck in this hell together, and even if he didn't want to be best friends with all the little bastards, he preferred a single faction of dragonriders to a horrible, hate-based division. Good thing there were plenty of people more hateable than himself for the northerners to focus their ire on. Tsuen and D'ren came to mind. S'kef couldn't have wished for better targets. Let them suffer and rot for their terrible mistakes!

"However, before we begin the festivities, I do have a few policy changes to announce," he called out. He unfolded a sheet of paper and held it up to read from it, as if carefully reviewing well thought out notes. He cleared his throat once more, and Tyrrisath growled at one of the young greens in B'jin's new class to hurry up and be quiet.

What stupid business. S'kef was so sick of the stories about factional conflict in his Weyr. He took a moment to think over their last reports, and it brought an ugly scowl to his face. Dragonriders were quick to complain about northerners refusing to adjust, but they were just as guilty of singling them out for the very harassment that made them resent the Weyr. It was ridiculous. All it did was make everyone weaker, and S'kef was sick of it. How could they expect to accomplish great things while standing ready to pounce on one another's throats? He couldn't exactly scream 'grow the fuck up' at them all, so this would have to suffice.

"One of the traditions we will be honoring tonight is an old one, but one that I feel has run it's course. By my decree, newly Impressed candidates will now select their honorific at the time of Impression, rather than receiving it at graduation," he said. "A dragonrider should be acknowledged as a dragonrider from the moment of Impression. This is the defining moment where a man becomes a dragonrider; that is when he should be acknowledged." There should be no transitional period where the young rider felt trapped between two worlds. S'kef remembered being frustrated at his status as no 'real' rider back when he was a weyrling, and the effect was even worse here. Best to be rid of it. He didn't bother to explain himself, though. He didn't feel like going off on some poetic rant about the identities of dragonriders...not when he still had one announcement left to go.

"Secondly, from this day forward, female dragonriders bonded to green and blue dragons shall no longer contract their names. Woman riders are encouraged to draw from the examples of goldriders and continue to use their birth names, in accordance with feminine virtue." Stupid women. They were already wasting a good fighting dragon.They could at least not pretend to be real dragonriders.

"Weyrlings from either of Krypth's clutches may declare their honorific after the graduating class tonight, or they may report to their weyrling master in private. Female riders are expected to relinquish use of their honorifics as once," he said, closing his speech with all the militaristic grace he usually carried. He saluted the graduating class and thanked the crowd before seating himself, pleased with the job he'd done.

Things were going to be different now, and he wanted to make sure that everyone knew it.