Name: Lu’reni (formerly Luyainreni) – often mistakenly pronounced as “Loony” by those who disagree with her position as a female dragonrider. She was met with a bit of resistance when she chose to honorize it at her former Weyr.
Age: 27
Sex: Female
Sexual Orientation: Prefers men, but tends to end up quite attracted to the rider of whoever catches Lazulith in flight – and for a much longer period of time then she would like to admit.
Weyr: Western Weyr
Rider Rank: Wingrider
Previous Rank/Craft: Apprentice Beastcrafter, ages ago. Kept up with it to make some money before Thread returned when she was still at Igen, but never really had her heart in it.
Physical Description: Lu’reni stands at about (in non-Pern measurements) five feet, four inches and has a lean, gently curved frame. Her hair is a honey blond color, long, and thick. To control it, she typically keeps it in a long braid over one shoulder, tied off with a length of leathery skin. The young woman has wide oval eyes that are nearly the exact shade of purply-blue of her dragon – big, oval eyes that tend to give the impression that she is always in some state of amazement over the things she is examining. Her face is heart-shaped, and her nose aquiline, a smattering of pale freckles naturally covering the space below her eyes but is tanned.
Personality: Lu’reni views herself as Lazulith’s keeper – the person whose purpose it is to keep the dragon well both in body and mind. (This is ironic, of course, because Lazulith feels the same way about Lu'reni.) Lu believes that, if Lazulith could only be a bit more decisive, she could be the Greatest Dragon Ever! Unfortunately, together, the dragon and rider only seem to distract each other even more. It is not uncommon for Lu’reni and Lazulith to be interacting with another dragon and rider, and suddenly, without warning, just slip into a conversation only between the two of them, completely forgetting about the others. Lu’reni always scolds herself for this afterward, but Lazulith tends to forget it even happened at all.
Utterly idealistic and optimistic, the young rider is the single greatest cheerleader a dragon could ask for, and quite regularly, Lu’reni will talk to Lazulith about all the things that they could do to improve themselves – and to prove themselves as an amazing dragon/rider team to the rest of the Weyr! Lazulith’s indecision and comfort in believing herself to be totally average is bothersome to Lu’reni. She is constantly searching for ways to make Pern, Igen, and now Western better, happier places and to boost Lazulith’s self-esteem. Sunshine almost radiates out of her ears. However, this makes Lu’reni a bit overly excited, and at times, she gets so carried away with Doing Good that she neglects her duties. Lu’reni never does these things out of rebellion. She is, to a fault, incredibly good-natured, just like her dragon, but Lu’reni is much more temperamental and opinionated than Lazulith. When incited to anger, Lu will often collapse in a heap of tears out of frustration.
At the same time, Lu’reni firmly believes that 99% of Pern would be happier if they only had someone to talk to, and in her life, Lu’reni has decided that she could be just that person! She listens to the indecisive rambling of her dragon with the same comforting smiles that she gives to all those who seek a shoulder to cry on, a person to talk to, just someone who cares. This kind of total kindness might lead people to believe that Lu’reni is a pushover or, perhaps, a bit of a dimglow – but these things are quite far from the truth. Lu’reni is an incredibly passionate person; she is just passionate about happiness. Should a person act in cruelty or with bad intent, Lu’reni would be the first person to call them out on it and to demand that they fix whatever it is that they have done. She believes in fundamental truths and the good of the team, and if you try to disturb that harmony – Faranth help her – she will be all up on you in a bad way.
Now, do not think that Lu’reni does not get sad; she does. She just doesn’t see the point in fretting over her sadness. What good will that do? Her dragon feels her sadness stronger than anyone else, and it is one of the only things that will force Lazulith to take a direct stance and let her own anger out. They might be an ineffective team, but they love each other for each and every fault that they might have. At times, they squabble over Laz’s inability to make decisions, or over Lu’s uncertainty over close connections. Laz does not often rise (mostly because she can never really decide if she wants to or not), but when she does, Lu’reni gets very uncomfortable. Lu’reni is a bit of an awkward girl, and the throes of passion that rush through her body each time this happens are extremely confusing for her. What’s worse, she tends to fall just a little bit in love with the rider of any dragon that flies Lazulith. Lu’reni has never had a partner choose to be with her – without the passion of a flight – and this is a point of insecurity for the girl. For all of the love and compassion that she has for people, Lu’reni never seems to make strong, lasting connections with anyone – other than Laz, that is. As a child, she was a happy loner, and as an adult, that mentality has stuck with her.
Moving to Western Weyr has made Lu'reni much happier. Being a female greenrider is commonplace there, and she feels safe from all scorn based on her gender. The small size of the Weyr is also a comfort to Lu; she absolutely loves recognizing each and every face. And who knew – Lu'reni is totally a beachy kind of girl. How did she ever survive for so long in the desert!
Positive Trait List Optimistic, Empathetic, Supportive
Negative Trait List Sensitive, Anxious, Insecure
History: Lu’reni was born to a bluerider father and a beastcrafter mother at Igen Weyr. All her life, Lu’reni expected to be a beastcrafter like her mother. She would spend her days doing chores there, caring for the runnerbeasts and learning about every kind of animal that her mother knew of in Pern. (For example, she feels that wherries are grossly under-appreciated!) Sure, she has loved and admired dragons all her life, but she never thought that, as a woman, she would be a rider at Igen. It just was not common. So when Lu’reni was invited to the Sands, her family was a bit stunned. Her father loved her dearly and encouraged her to stand, but truth be told, he never thought she would actually Impress. It would be great if she was a goldrider, but their family wasn’t really the type, he thought. Like many at Igen, her father thought of females only as goldriders. Her mother was equally shocked, but continued to train her daughter as if she would be walking the tables eventually, not taking to the skies on a dragon. With the Thread gone, becoming a dragonrider seemed a bit unnecessary. Why rock the boat when it wasn't necessary? It was not that her family did not have faith in her. No, Lu’reni grew up in a very loving household. It was just that her parents, like many Igen people, did not feel that women were destined to be riders like men were.
So it was even more shocking when Lu’reni did in fact Impress at her very first Hatching ever – and only when she was barely 14 turns old. Lazulith was the very, very last dragon to emerge from its shell that day; it was as if she could not make up her mind about being hatched. In fact, after the shell cracked, she only poked her snout out at then pulled it back in, over and over. Lu’reni took a single step toward the shell – and in that moment, Lazulith chose her. No one would challenge a dragon’s choice, but murmurs filled the cavern the instant their link snapped into place. Life at Igen was not picture perfect for Lu'reni. A dragonriding woman was perceived as even more useless with the threat of Threadfall abolished from Pern. Lu'reni tried to make the best of it and stick it out, but one night, a particular opinionated group of males beat her. It was a crushing blow to her typically happy life. When her father passed away a short time later, the young rider felt as if her life had stalled, and her relationship with her mother had only grown more strained. Without the Thread to fight, Lu'reni felt pressured by her mother to learn a craft on the side – specifically, beastcraft. But Lu didn't want to learn beastcraft. She just wanted to coexist in happiness with her dragon. How wonderful to live a life without the threat of Threadfall! So, as much as it pained her to leave her mother behind, Lu'reni transferred to Western Weyr – both to gain some peace of mind and to experience life in a Weyr that accepted people for who they were. She'd lived in the deserts of Igen all her life; a little time spent on the beach might do her some good.
With thirteen turns of riding under her belt (the last three spent at Western, arriving not long before Thread returned), Lu’reni does not quite get the respect that she might deserve, and a good bit of this is her own fault. Lu’reni and Lazulith are a reliable team most of the time, but Lazulith absolutely crumbles without an order to follow. Lu has gotten much better about keeping Laz confident and focused in training, but recently, Lu’reni has begun to try to grow up a bit and to channel her dragon’s love into more self-developing avenues – namely, more confidence. Lucky for them, dragon wings aren't under as much scrutiny anymore. With no Thread to worry about, it has become a less strict training process, which is just fine with Lu and Laz. Truth be told, they are both getting older, and though Lu might not want to admit it, she is growing desperate for a relationship with another person. Many women her age have several children already, and Lu has begun to feel her own clock ticking for a family.
The only speed bump in an otherwise happy and healthy childhood was that Lu’reni had a twin sister when she was younger who fell ill and died. Part of the reason that Lu’reni clings so much to happiness is because she understands that life is short; she wants to make the most of it. In a lot of ways, Lu’reni looks at Lazulith as her sister. Together, they have grown up and tried to become better, even if they both share many of the same faults. They balance each other in their equal desire to satisfy their needs for happiness and companionship.
And when Thread returned? Her world was rocked. Lu'reni never expected her peaceful world to be shattered and hoped that her dragon would never have to take to the skies in this way. Her rose-colored glasses have lifted, and Lu is struggling with her new reality, looking for guidance.
Other: Lu'reni is an awe of the Weyrwoman. Lu comes from a very close-minded Weyr, and to see a greenrider in such a position fills her with incredible joy and devotion. She wants to be better so that Western looks better and so that Lazulith feels more confident, but she also is fully invested in showing how competent and amazing their Weyrwoman is because she is a greenrider, not despite it. If she could, she'd have a poster of Hestina & Treth on her wall, like her own Pernese vision board.
DRAGON
Name: Lazulith
Age: 13
Color: Green
Size: 23'
Physical Description: Average is the best way to describe Lazulith. Average size, average strength, average speed. If she is good at anything, it is maybe her agility, but even then, she doesn't blow anyone's mind. Her markings, too, are average. The vast spread of her is a vibrant light green streaked gently with some subtly darker lines. The tip of her tail is more of a kelly green, as are the arrow-like markings crossing vertically near her ears and her snout. Some less kind riders from her former Weyr commented that she looked pinched at either end: snout and tip of tail staying darker than the rest. Her eyes are as wide and inquisitive as a dragon's can be and typically swirl around a purply-blue hue.
Personality: Lazulith is a simple, if not confused dragon, and one who can rarely make up her mind. Some would call her fickle, if human traits could be assigned to dragonkind. Sweet, kind, and even thoughtful, Lazulith is the perfect companion for a gentle soul -- just don't ask her any sort of question. It doesn't matter whether it's what she feels like eating tonight, or whether or not she likes someone, the answer will always be muddled, and she'll change her mind within seconds of giving an answer. Surprisingly, however, this doesn't seem to bother the green much. She's a good-natured dragon, albeit indecisive. In the end, she's learned to just not ask herself any questions and just go with her first instinct, because if she stops to think about it, nothing will ever get done. This makes her seem rather impulsive, at times, but those who know her realize it is for the best, and love her for the sweet thing she is.
In regards to her size and wingspan, Lazulith is a relatively normal dragon; she's almost perfectly average in every regard, and this seems to suit her just fine. It doesn't bother her that she's not super fast or super strong, maybe because she never thought about it as a bad thing. She's pretty complacent when it comes to flying in a wing, and answers orders easily enough, not bothered by even the most gruff or power-driven dragons -- no matter the command, she is more than willing to do so without a moment's hesitation. It's when she's not given commands that things start to go wrong. When fighting Thread, no one can afford to hesitate, and unfortunately this is often what Lazulith is prone to doing. If the wingleader or wingsecond aren't giving her commands, she can't decide what to do, jumping between two or three courses of action, trying to decide which one is right, and end up doing nothing at all. She needs her rider to do so for her.
When it comes to communicating with other dragons, Lazulith is fairly social, enjoying other dragons company as well as other social activities such as swimming or basking. She's not known to be a hothead, although like anyone she's likely to have her disputes. Still, they never last long, especially not with a dragon's memory, and certainly not when Lazulith thinks about why she was mad in the first place, as that often results in her being indecisive of whether or not she should have been mad at all.
Dragon Art or Proof of Obtainment: Transfer from AtWoP/SoP!
