Character Name: T’vek
Pre-Impression Name: Taurvek
Age: 29
Sexual Orientation: Bisexual
Rank: Wingrider
Former Craft/Rank: Apprentice Runner
History: Bluh bluh will be filled in later
-Born in hold, middle child of… a lot.
-Becomes a runner
-Assigned a mission to run a message to the Weyr. Catches fire-head shortly beforehand, but doesn’t want to give up what he perceives as a prestigious mission, and runs anyway. Collapses upon arrival/close to the Weyr, whacks his head but good. Fortunately the Weyrhealer manages to patch him up, but he’s laid up for months.
-Towards the end of his downtime, he has a run-in with a Searchdragon, who suggests he stand for an imminent clutch before returning to running.
-Stands, Impresses Taikoth
Description: At barely five foot five, T’vek is not a large or intimidating man. This suits Taikoth fine – not that a dragon his size really notices the weight difference between one small man and one large man, but something about having a rider who could double as a runnerbeast jockey inexplicably appeals to Taikoth. His eyes are a medium brown flecked with green, hooded under heavy dark ash-brown brows. His hair would be equally thick and dark, except that T’vek has this curious habit of shaving his head. At any given time, his hair length is anywhere between “cue ball” and “straight out of the military buzz cut.” Of course, this just makes the long scar along his scalp more noticeable, but he seems to like it like that.
Everything about T’vek is sharp edges, from the prominent cheekbones to the beaky, hawklike nose in profile. His build is angular and bony, with just enough whipcord muscle to get by. The man never lost his runner look, even Turns out of the craft. When at rest he just looks awkward, a tangle of long limbs and jutting elbows; even if he tolerated physical affection, getting cuddly with him would not be pleasant for any parties involved. Granted, T’vek is very rarely completely still. If he’s not out and about, his leg is jiggling, or his hands are fidgeting with his flight goggles. And when he’s active, that awkward look disappears entirely. He is truly in his element when headed somewhere at a ground-eating lope, or swinging astride Taikoth’s neck to take off into the sky. At 29, it still remains to be seen whether he’ll ever slow down, or if he’ll just keep going like some bizarre Ancientcrafter gadget.
Personality: Ever met a herding canine? Boundless energy, intense focus and devotion to their job? Now shave that canine, put it on two legs, give it a dragon and some obnoxious personal habits. Okay, meet T’vek.
T’vek is completely, unswervingly reliable. Complete strangers could entrust him with flit eggs, large bags of marks, or small infants, and trust that he’d do his best to look after said items/offspring vigilantly. He applies a similar level of work ethic to his job, to the point where he might be considered… kind of a stick in the mud. On first impression, anyway. When T’vek is business, he is all business. But once you get to know him when he’s off-duty, he’ll be more open with his quirky sense of humor and playfulness. T’vek is a little bit compulsive – not disorder-level by far, but in the sense that he likes to have things just so. His weyr is obnoxiously untidy, but he insists that it is a System, and anyone who rearranges things will probably be grumbled at a bit. Furthermore, Taikoth’s leathers are meticulously maintained… probably more than necessary given that Thread isn’t currently falling.
Socially, T’vek is content to let others lead. He’s comfortable with taking orders, and in fact does so happily. He likes knowing exactly what is expected of him, and that’s easiest if he can just look to his wingleader for guidance. With his peers, he tends to be restrained with words, but more in the sense that he is concise rather than shy. If he has an opinion, he’ll make it known, but he’ll just come out and say it. He’s the kind of person to form attachments only to a relatively select group that he respects, but form those friendships strongly. On a more personal note, flying is his passion, and when he has time off, he likes nothing better than to go for a joyride around an open patch of sky, putting Taikoth through his rather impressive paces.
T’vek likes men and women alike, but you would not know it from his behavior. It’s not that he’s repressed or closeted… though being holdbred like he is, you wouldn’t be too far out of left field if you assumed that. He likes ladies, too, but he doesn’t flirt with them either. The simple fact is, T’vek is not very good with affection. He’s not grumpy, he just doesn’t really know what to do with it. He’s that guy where you could hug him and he’d just sort of fidget and flop like a startled fish. And for Faranth’s sake don’t go to him asking about your relationship problems. It is like asking a wher to do advanced calculus – it might be adorable at first, but then it’s just kind of sad. If Pern were ending, and the survival of the human race depended on T’vek’s ability to acquire a mate… well, okay, see previous comment about liking men, but Pern would still be doomed either way.
Other: T’vek is claustrophobic. He’s fine with just walking around the Lower Caverns and the like - obviously, or he’d have a heck of a lot of trouble living on Pern. But if he’s in a very crowded area, or a small space with all the entrances blocked, for instance, he is prone to anxiety and occasionally panic attacks.
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Dragon Name: Taikoth
Dragon Color: Black
Physical Description: X
Lineart (c) senaru.deviantart.com
Taikoth is a lean, mean aerial machine. And you can bet he knows it. Sleek and acrobatic even by the standards of his color, he’s barely larger than a green, and possesses the expected reduced stamina. His coloring is understated, but distinct.
Personality: Taikoth is highly competitive, and a perfectionist. Where T’vek wants to be in the air just for the feeling of freedom, Taikoth wants to push himself to his limits. When he’s on point, he is precise and almost elegant. The black’s main problem is that he tends to get distracted by excessively flashy maneuvers that are ultimately wasteful of his limited stamina. He is clever, and occasionally uses his innate sense of where to pull off surprising stunts. More often, though, his imagination is too grand for reality, and T’vek has to rein him in before he ends up hurting himself or someone else by accident. This makes him somewhat less than reliable as a wingrider, although Taikoth is nearly always good-natured with his fellow dragons. He may be competitive, but he also has a strong sense of sportsmanship, and would go well out of his way to assist a fellow dragon or rider.
There is one exception: he has a strong territorial streak. His rider. His herdbeast. His ledge. If other dragons or humans impinge on things he perceives as belonging to him, Taikoth’s genial personality takes a 180. While he would never dream of actually threatening someone, he can be unintentionally intimidating when he’s in one of his more volatile moods. Paradoxically, if Taikoth should approach someone who is not his rider and is rebuffed, he’s liable to nurse hurt feelings afterwards. He's also prone to occasional bouts of sulking when he feels that his performance isn't up to par - either his own personally, or that of the wing as a whole.
Curiously, in contrast to the “unconditional support” attitudes of many dragons, Taikoth is very demanding when it comes to T’vek. He knows when his rider is slacking, and he Does Not Tolerate it. But on the flip side, the fact that both dragon and rider are sparing with their affection… While it might look strange to some, it just makes their softer moments all the more meaningful for the two of them.
Salvage Operations
NOT USEABLE - Icon #010
