Name: D'vika
Age: 35 (Month Nine, Turn 171)
Gender: Female
Rank: Veteran Wingrider
Appearance: D'vika is a well endowed woman of ample curves and ample strength. Just because her bodices need to be let out more often than taken in doesn't mean she can't pick you up and toss you over her shoulder with barely a grunt. She's of a respectable height, maybe 5'9 tops, but it's her width rather than her height that gives her the impression of great size. Ten solid turns of dual dragonriding and metal smithing have had their effect on her frame and she's proud of every muscle, scar and burn.
D'vika's forearms, forehead and the apples of her cheeks all bear small circular scars from turns of sparks and stray flecks of hot metal finding exposed flesh. The worst being the top of her right arm and the palm of her left hand. Both burns resulted from her early apprentice days in which she had a bad case of 'it'll be ok just this once. What's the worst that could happen?' usually around the wearing of safety gear.
Her skin is generally a fair tawny shade that deepens considerably in summer. Heavy tan lines are a fact of life she has accepted easily. Her nut brown eyes are usually turned up in a smile or laugh and her blue-black hair rings her head in loose, but short, ringlets. (Has she ever told you burning hair smells horrible?)
Personality: Passionate, Organized, Reliable, Affectionate
Rejects change, High strung, wavering self-confidence
First things first. She's not just a Dragonrider. She's an artist. D'vika likes nothing more than to lose herself into her work, tuning out the world around her and twisting and molding metal into whatever shape her subconscious wants. Oh sure, she makes the requisite hinges, bolts, buckles and whatnot; metal is too precious to waste after all but when she gets the artistic freedom her energies produce some rather... inventive designs. Even if others don't particularly thrill at the sight of the monstrosities she creates she loves every one of them like they were her own children and finds it hard to part with them.
D'vika has an intense need for organization in her life which is at odds with the strange and abstract pieces she crafts. You may not be able to tell at first but every single thing in her personal quarters and life has it's own category and spot that it belongs in. Every action has a timeslot and almost everything she does is planned down to the minute, even her rest time. She dislikes large changes (such as moving) and once she's settled into a routine or location she wants to stay there indefinitely.
Also, she is Clean. With a capital C. D'vika bathes first thing in the morning and then again once she's back from the forges or whatever else she's been doing. She can get as dirty and messy as she wants while working, so long as she has the ability to bathe the moment she's done. D'vika's bed is made every morning and all of her projects and tools put back in their places every night. She has a hard time visiting others weyrs or work spaces because any bit of disorder puts her on edge and she has to fix it before she can be comfortable in the space.
Just as she can give herself whole-heartedly to her work, put a little (or a lot - she's no lightweight) of liquor into her and D'vika will party like there's no tomorrow. Expect clothes to disappear, loud raspy singing, and a joyful disregard for anyone's personal space.
D'vika is absolutely head over heels for Tolgath. She dotes upon the bronze more like a favored pet than a proper dragon, indulging his every hedonistic whim since he's no longer capable with flying among the big boys. He may be a bit round now but she's at least careful to keep him from getting too overweight. She does have pride as a rider after all.
When it comes to love and romance, she's about as shy as a small child. She'll attempt to fake a casual calm demeanor when in the presence of a person she finds attractive but internally her heart is racing and generally she turns into a goofy mess for the rest of the day. All her self confidence disappears and she has trouble making the first move. D'vika is definitely longing for more of a long term relationship rather than a casual fling.
Other: D'vika's other passion... is cooking. She can take anything from the stores, throw it together in a frying pan over a campfire (or oven if she doesn't get kicked out of the kitchens) and make a delicious meal. It won't be gourmet, and she doesn't even know what she's doing half the time, but damn if the smells coming from that fire don't make your mouth water.
History:
Born and raised just east of Tillek, Dovika was raised as a fairly rambunctious and troublesome third daughter to a moderately large holder family. She spent a lot of her free time roaming around the docks and open marketplaces along the shore generally getting underfoot with a pack of local children. Dovika, an early bloomer, was on average a half head taller than most of her playmates at any given time and as such was often the lookout and first to shout warning when trouble (in the form of adults, authorities, or a rival gang of children) was brewing.
Large families seemed to be the 'in thing' and as such, Searches of their hold ran with more frequency than others of a similar size. It was a common (if frowned upon) practice among the children to place bets on who would be searched each turn with whatever marks they could get their hands on. For the most part, the adults let it slide so long as no fights broke out over the money and no one was caught stealing. Dovika was a guaranteed player each time the Search riders came around and eventually, when she was around 14 turns old she won herself a hefty little pot (all of maybe 10 marks total, but to a child of a small hold it was a fortune) when the rider on Search chose her as one of a handful to be brought to the weyr that turn.
Dovika would have preformed spectacularly in her candidacy if it hadn't been for a lack of literacy skills. Her physical abilities were on par or better with the rest of her peers but she had severe trouble, even with remedial lessons, learning to read and write fluently, as well as preform basic math problems. She didn't hate learning or her lessons exactly but there was no doubting her relief as the young woman fairly exploded out of her seat the moment she was released every day.
Despite her struggles, she managed to scrape by just barely and was chosen as a squire by a rider of 4-1 under the still new Wingleader V'on. Four turns later, she Impressed at Pheneth's final clutch. She was 20 turns old and seriously regretting not saving for an apprenticeship as that was probably going to be her final clutch. Just when she was wondering if a proper math education was really necessary for success as a cook the laziest dragon to ever hatch was nudged out of his previously cracked shell by a disgruntled sibling and frog marched right up to her feet where he plunked his sandy bronze bottom back down and under the baleful glare of his sibling Impressed upon Dovika with a yawn and a cheerful prrrip!
Weyrlinghood came and went before Dovika even realized it. The months seemed to meld together and even as Tolgath grew to an immense size, Dovika was convinced they'd only just bonded a few months ago at most. Time barely made an impression on her. Soon enough they were flying, then between, and firestone! It came at a complete surprise to her one morning when the Wingleader of 3-1 approached her and gave the traditional invitation for her to join their table and dine with them.
D'vika seemed at that point, to put it bluntly, to have her s**t together. She was a dragonrider with a good respectable position, she'd never got in any serious trouble (or at least hadn't been caught), and her love life while quiet, wasn't going to scandalize anyone but the oldest of holdborn prudes.
The dragonplague took her little slice of happiness and shook it like a canine with a newly stuffed pillow. Tolgath was one of the first to fall ill, starting with a thick wet cough soon after the quarantine went into place. This cough persisted his entire illness, within days it had torn his throat bloody and wracked with fever, body aches and seizures, it was a miracle he survived.
By the time his fever broke, both he and D'vika were barely shells of their former selves. Tolgath was little more than skin and membrane on thin bones having been able to take no sustenance and barely able to take in enough water to prevent his death from dehydration. D'vika hadn't fared much better as sympathetic symptoms had prevented her from eating or drinking much and worry kept her from sleeping. Both dragon and rider were grey and exhausted. It would be month's more before they started to look relatively normal again.
To their dismay, even after Tolgath had been given a clean bill of health from the healers, Tolgath found himself lagging behind the other healthy dragons remaining in their wing. Drills exhausted him and even a sweep at a slow pace left him winded and panting by the time they landed. Unable to keep up with their usual wing duties, D'vika was approached about the possibility of an honorable discharge. After a short discussion, she negotiated a position among the Veterans Wing instead. Tolgath might still get better with time and he wasn't so bad that he was incapable of the light duties of Veterans Wing.
While that never panned out in the end, both found Veterans Wing to suit their tastes. Sure she doesn't care much for the sexist attitude of her Wingleader (apparently being female, a bronzerider, and unable to fly in the main wings is either a crime or proof of his beliefs depending upon the day) He's never been outwardly cruel to her or Tolgath though so she shrugs it off for the most part.
To keep herself occupied in her spare time between duties that Tolgath was hale enough for, D'vika saved up enough marks to bribe herself into an apprenticeship with the local smiths housed at High Reaches. She was old to be starting a craft, but she figured she wasn't that far off from those candidates who aged out and had access to money. Either way it was something she wanted to do so she went for it. It seemed like the perfect outlet for both energy and creativity (at least, once she was allowed to make something other than nails!) as well as being useful.
While most of her efforts go into useful and practical items such as the basic hinges, nails, knives and buckles that are required for daily life in the weyr, as well as doing repairs on whatever is brought to her, D'vika's personality really shines when she's allowed to work freely and put her own spin on whatever comes out of her forge. Given the freedom, even the basic knives and tools come out with abstract carvings or swirling inlays that if looked at the right way in the right light she will insist is actually a stylized wher or runnerbeast. Don't you see it? She takes great pride in her art even if others are less enthusiastic about it.
Ten turns later, she's finally got her journeyman knots and while she still makes the basics to 'pay the rent' shes much more likely to be found twisting coils of metal scraps together to make oddly cute (if in a slightly nightmarish way) statues of wildlife or people. She has dabbled in jewelery but the metals required are expensive and unless her patron is willing to front some of the costs before the piece is started it's rather out of her reach.
As for that, D'vika is pretty satisfied with her life. Working both Veterans Wing and smithing, she's making combined more than what she'd make as a rider of 3rd. Most of those marks have been saved with the occasional indulgence in furnishings (her room is actually very luxuriously decorated) or a new crespin though she did splurge a few turns back on a small firelizard egg which in turn gave her her little green Finn.
Content as she is in her craft and her 'side job' as a rider the current turmoil in the weyr has received little more than a roll of her eyes and a flap of her hands. She doesn't have the energy to deal with these idiots. Can't you see she's busy? Yes it's messed up that T'gall was attacked and someone should do something about it but it's not going to be her. Yes the timeriders are crazy and strange but she kinda likes them. Thread's back? We'll they expected that didn't they? Tolgath's got enough juice in him to do his duty you don't need to worry about them. O'ail won Weyrleadership? Good for her! D'vika certainly wasn't interested in the post.
They're reshuffling wingseconds? Well... no. She's got too much going on right now she doesn't need the added responsibilities (and she doesn't particularly want to work more with Le'bon than she has to).
Name: Tolgath
Age: 15
Colour: Bronze
Feel of voice: The scent of warm vanilla, roasted nuts and patchouli. The pressure of experienced hands on taught muscles.
Appearance:
Personality:
Tolgath is a creature of the senses. Things that look nice, feel nice, sound nice, or smell and taste nice all appeal to this self indulgent dragon. Unpleasant things like chores, and lessons are generally to be avoided. He'd much rather laze about on a perfectly sunny beach then attend to his rider's studies. With the threat of Thread over their heads and unrest amongst the weyr should they not live every day to it's fullest? A day spent indoors hard at work is a day wasted that they will never get back. Tolgath intends to never waste a single day this way.
Not to say he will never pull his weight among the Veterans Wing. He can be convinced to put effort towards a common goal... if you bribe him. Promises of a deep scrubbing or an extra fat herdbeast can be quite the motivators so long as you keep up your end of the bargain. Tolgath will be severely disappointed in you if you don't. You may find yourself categorized as something that is no longer pleasant and shouldn't be around him till he forgets about the incident. This can even extend to his rider. Should D'vika not follow through with a promise she may find herself shut out of the bronze's mind and given the cold shoulder. Thankfully due to a stereo-typically draconic memory, Tolgath most likely will have forgotten your transgression by the next morning.
When it comes to a bronze's reputed temper Tolgath displays little of it. He has a very long fuse and explosive reactions are extremely rare. He forgives and forgets with relative ease. Tolgath would much rather move past any unpleasant nonsense and get back to sunning.
A dragon so focused on personal pleasure might be seen as conceited and vain. Tolgath is gregarious in his indulgences, wanting to share his time and pleasures with as many companions as possible. It's not all about his enjoyment but that of everyone. They had better hope they enjoy his own brand of pleasures because Tolgath can be VERY insistent. Being alone does not agree with Tolgath. What is a swim in the lake if he has no one to talk to or play with?
Tolgath is not entirely an open book either. What goes on between him and his rider is Their Business and not to be discussed amongst others. Attempts to pry into their relationship are a quick ticket to shuns-ville and if you persist? It's one of the few things that can make this bronze snap.
Other: Tolgath can fly a sweep without too much trouble as long as he's rested, or act as a courier when called upon. He enjoys short greenflights on occasion but won't rise to chase a gold. He just doesn't have the stamina to keep up after the plague.
