Post by Taylor on Jul 6, 2012 18:44:48 GMT -4
Name: Alkess
Pronunciation: ALL - kess
Age: 24
Season Born In: Early Fall
Gender: Agender (pronouns: he, she, or they)
Sexuality: Unsure, but largely uninterested
Appearance: Alkess is androgynous. It's the first thing anyone will notice about them and for some it's the only thing people will notice about them. They have a face which is pretty and delicate enough to have some saying they are "really a girl", and yet masculine enough that some insist Alkess is "really a boy." Their voice, too, is fairly androgynous, much to their delight. It is just at the range where it doesn't scream "man" or "woman". They have greyish green eyes - more grey than green, really - and auburn hair. This they keep just long enough to brush their shoulders, though it is often either braided or in a ponytail.
Alkess is five foot seven. They have fairly lean hips, and their chest depends on their outfit. Sometimes it is flat while other times it fills out feminine shirts quite nicely. It's unclear whether they have breasts which they sometimes bind, or are flat-chested and sometimes introduce some stuffing into their garments. Since they don't exactly get naked for people, this remains a general mystery. Alkess' clothing and gender presentation varies from day to day. One day they may greet the morning with hair french braided and a dress hugging their gentle curves. The next may have them flat-chested and wearing baggy pants, a masculine shirt, and boots, their hair pulled back in a no-nonsense knot at the base of their skull. And other days, still, they may combine elements, wearing a fluttery pink shirt with heavy boots or a rugged shirt with a skirt which twirls delicately about their knees.
Personality: Even as a young child, Alkess didn't consider themself a girl or a boy. They just...were. They started to dress in such a way that maybe people wouldn't be able to tell what sex they were, but discovered that people just guessed. They were still viewed as a boy or girl, it just wasn't necessarily what most people would consider "right". By now, they have learned to influence how they are read depending on how they feel. When they really don't care how they are read and are okay with being read as one or the other binary genders, they'll present as male or female, either emphasizing their femenine or masculine features. If they are very firmly against that, though, and being called "he" or "she" feels like a knife being driven between their ribs, they'll dress in a more non-binary way. Actively presenting like this, rather than wearing baggy clothes and hoping no one notices what they may or may not be, has helped Alkess to feel somewhat more in control of their life. Of course, it has also put them somewhat more at risk.
While Alkess is completely comfortable with their gender identity - or lack thereof - they are not comfortable with the reactions they get from people. Alkess has become somewhat guarded, expecting everyone to comment on their gender, harrass them for it, and perhaps even attack them. It's happened often enough, after all. Alkess is a bit of a loner, or at least seems to be. Truthfully, they are lonely, and really wish they had more people close to them. But between their general wariness and Alsk's protective aggression, few can get close even if they want to.
While Alkess is uncomfortable with people, they are fairly good at hiding their fear. Alkess will walk past a roomfull of staring, whispering people with head held high and eyes forward. Once back in their room, they may curl up in bed or cling to Alsk for support, but while out in public, it is hard to see that they are anything but cool, calm, and collected.
Alkess is a bit awkward, when you do talk to them. It's like they don't know how to deal with people being normal and nice to them, and so they tend to babble about things they may not care about, make jokes that fall flat, and stare too intently into their eyes, willing the person to be their friend.
Family: Kestrel - mother - drudge - deceased
Location: Rindell
Rank: Garnet Handler
Wing/Pack: Moonstalkers
History: Alkess' mother was a drudge who died shortly after childbirth, surrendering them to the creche in Benden Hold. They didn't receive a great deal of individual attention, just one more hungry mouth among many, and so it was easy to slip away and be forgotten. Alkess developed an early interest in healing, and would often slip down to the infirmary to watch the healers. At first, people were uncertain, only letting the child watch simpler, more tame things - putting bandages on little cuts, or brewing painkilling teas. As Alkess grew, however, they were allowed to watch more complicated things.
When Alkess turned twelve, they became a healer apprentice, to no one's surprise. The androgynous youth quickly endeared themself to those around them, their passion for the craft pushing them to learn quickly. At age thirteen, however, they had a realization. Yes, they loved doing first aid on humans, and stitching up wounds was fascinating. But...it wasn't really their main interest. Nervous at first - what if they insulted someone? - Alkess eventually brought up the matter with the person training her. Well, a hold wasn't exactly the best spot to train for dragon healing. Intrigued by Pern's newest weyr, Alkess asked to be moved there to continue their training.
Alkess transferred easily enough and took advantage of the move to abandon old pronouns. While they were fine with "he" or "she" - either were common depending on how someone read their androgynous presentation - their favorite was singular "they", something they delightedly told those few people who pushed past the awkwardness to ask "what are you?!"
Alkess took to the new craft well. It was difficult, of course, transferring all your skills to an entirely new anatomy, but they at least had a good starting point. This was how you used herbs, this was how you stitched things... There were differences - finding out which herbs worked on dragons that didn't on humans and vice versa - but they loved the challenge.
Alkess loved their new home but was certainly aware of how people muttered about their strangeness. By the time Alkess was 20, they had abandoned their baggy, shapeless clothes, deciding they might as well dress how they liked. It wasn't like people didn't wonder at their gender just because they couldn't see their body, after all. With the new clothing - skirts combined with a man's shirt over a flat chest, or men's pants paired with a frilly blouse - came new harrassment.
When they were 23, they finally reached the breaking point. They had just walked the tables to be a journeyman dragonhealer and were being harrassed on a daily basis. When it finally upped to physical violence, a drunk dragonrider cornering them one night and demanding to know what was under their skirt, Alkess decided they needed to get away. It was a miracle nothing worse had happened by now, really, and they knew that.
The next time they saw an unfamiliar dragonrider, they strode up to them and asked point blank if they were with the Rebellion. This earned a startled look and a punch, but Alkess tried again (once the swelling on their eye had gone down). On the eighth rider, after being glared at several times and just stared down several more, Alkess was shocked to get a very tentative, quiet yes. They hadn't actually thought that would work, to be honest.
Eventually, the rider agreed to bring Alkess to Rindell and the agender dragonhealer found a new home.
When a wher clutch hatched in nearby Rindell village, Alkess was on hand to make sure no babies were harmed in any way. To their surprise, there was one less wher candidate than wher. Alkess hesitated and then, once they got approval, sliced their hand with a knife, extended it to the last wher, and bonded to a garnet.
Dragon/Wher
Name: Alsk
Pronunciation: all-sk
Age: 6 months (early spring T203)
Type: Wher
Rank: Garnet
Size: 6 feet
Color Codes: 660000
Appearance: Alsk is somewhat bulky for a garnet, even for a wher. Combined with his dark color, nearly black, some at first mistake him for a brown. Closer up, though, you will see that he is most certainly a garnet. While most of his hide is a dark red which nearly ceases to be red at all, brighter red is splashed across the tops of his wings and down his back. The way he likes to think of it is that it looks like someone above him was stabbed and their bright crimson blood spattered over him. Alkess prefers to think of it like little freckles, especially as there is a spattering of these lighter, brighter dots over his nose.
Personality: Alsk is protective, possessive, and jealous. That about sums him up. Mix in some violent tendencies and you've got Alsk. Poking into their mind, he can see the harrassment - verbal, physical, and sexual - Alkess suffered before bonding to him. Alsk is determined never to let this happen to His again. Since the entire world is full of assholes, in his opinion, it is his job to keep everyone and everything away from Alkess. He will be their only friend, and surely that is enough. Why would it not be? He tries to keep people away by being grumpy and ill-tempered at them. If that doesn't work, he'll move up to threats. If that still doesn't work, he'll move up to violence. And after that...well, he's never had to kill anyone yet but don't think he hasn't thought about it.
Sometimes, of course, people are determined to get to know you. If someone can withstand all that he throws at them and get close enough to Alkess for the wherhandler to consider them a friend, Alsk will (reluctantly) change gears. Now, this person is also to be protected. AKA isolated and coralled, because the world is dangerous and surely anyone who might harm Alkess (read: everyone) might harm Alkess' friends and loved ones.
Of course, there is an ulterior motive to all of Alsk's posturing. He is jealous. He hates the idea that Alkess may like someone more than him, and fears that this is what will happen if they get close to someone else. Alsk knows that humans have Needs. Needs which Alsk cannot meet. Surely if Alkess befriends someone, Alkess will sleep with that someone, and then they will fall in love and make babies and Alsk will be alone and sad and NO. Not allowed. Alsk is sure he can guarantee that he is always loved by making sure no one else loves Alkess or vice versa. If he has to eat everyone else on Pern, he will do it.
Mind-Voice (If applicable):
Alsk's voice is smooth. Give him an hour or two and he'll convince you to kill your grandmother. He speaks in low, calming tones which lull you into a false sense of security. He very rarely raises his voice.
Pronunciation: ALL - kess
Age: 24
Season Born In: Early Fall
Gender: Agender (pronouns: he, she, or they)
Sexuality: Unsure, but largely uninterested
Appearance: Alkess is androgynous. It's the first thing anyone will notice about them and for some it's the only thing people will notice about them. They have a face which is pretty and delicate enough to have some saying they are "really a girl", and yet masculine enough that some insist Alkess is "really a boy." Their voice, too, is fairly androgynous, much to their delight. It is just at the range where it doesn't scream "man" or "woman". They have greyish green eyes - more grey than green, really - and auburn hair. This they keep just long enough to brush their shoulders, though it is often either braided or in a ponytail.
Alkess is five foot seven. They have fairly lean hips, and their chest depends on their outfit. Sometimes it is flat while other times it fills out feminine shirts quite nicely. It's unclear whether they have breasts which they sometimes bind, or are flat-chested and sometimes introduce some stuffing into their garments. Since they don't exactly get naked for people, this remains a general mystery. Alkess' clothing and gender presentation varies from day to day. One day they may greet the morning with hair french braided and a dress hugging their gentle curves. The next may have them flat-chested and wearing baggy pants, a masculine shirt, and boots, their hair pulled back in a no-nonsense knot at the base of their skull. And other days, still, they may combine elements, wearing a fluttery pink shirt with heavy boots or a rugged shirt with a skirt which twirls delicately about their knees.
Personality: Even as a young child, Alkess didn't consider themself a girl or a boy. They just...were. They started to dress in such a way that maybe people wouldn't be able to tell what sex they were, but discovered that people just guessed. They were still viewed as a boy or girl, it just wasn't necessarily what most people would consider "right". By now, they have learned to influence how they are read depending on how they feel. When they really don't care how they are read and are okay with being read as one or the other binary genders, they'll present as male or female, either emphasizing their femenine or masculine features. If they are very firmly against that, though, and being called "he" or "she" feels like a knife being driven between their ribs, they'll dress in a more non-binary way. Actively presenting like this, rather than wearing baggy clothes and hoping no one notices what they may or may not be, has helped Alkess to feel somewhat more in control of their life. Of course, it has also put them somewhat more at risk.
While Alkess is completely comfortable with their gender identity - or lack thereof - they are not comfortable with the reactions they get from people. Alkess has become somewhat guarded, expecting everyone to comment on their gender, harrass them for it, and perhaps even attack them. It's happened often enough, after all. Alkess is a bit of a loner, or at least seems to be. Truthfully, they are lonely, and really wish they had more people close to them. But between their general wariness and Alsk's protective aggression, few can get close even if they want to.
While Alkess is uncomfortable with people, they are fairly good at hiding their fear. Alkess will walk past a roomfull of staring, whispering people with head held high and eyes forward. Once back in their room, they may curl up in bed or cling to Alsk for support, but while out in public, it is hard to see that they are anything but cool, calm, and collected.
Alkess is a bit awkward, when you do talk to them. It's like they don't know how to deal with people being normal and nice to them, and so they tend to babble about things they may not care about, make jokes that fall flat, and stare too intently into their eyes, willing the person to be their friend.
Family: Kestrel - mother - drudge - deceased
Location: Rindell
Rank: Garnet Handler
Wing/Pack: Moonstalkers
History: Alkess' mother was a drudge who died shortly after childbirth, surrendering them to the creche in Benden Hold. They didn't receive a great deal of individual attention, just one more hungry mouth among many, and so it was easy to slip away and be forgotten. Alkess developed an early interest in healing, and would often slip down to the infirmary to watch the healers. At first, people were uncertain, only letting the child watch simpler, more tame things - putting bandages on little cuts, or brewing painkilling teas. As Alkess grew, however, they were allowed to watch more complicated things.
When Alkess turned twelve, they became a healer apprentice, to no one's surprise. The androgynous youth quickly endeared themself to those around them, their passion for the craft pushing them to learn quickly. At age thirteen, however, they had a realization. Yes, they loved doing first aid on humans, and stitching up wounds was fascinating. But...it wasn't really their main interest. Nervous at first - what if they insulted someone? - Alkess eventually brought up the matter with the person training her. Well, a hold wasn't exactly the best spot to train for dragon healing. Intrigued by Pern's newest weyr, Alkess asked to be moved there to continue their training.
Alkess transferred easily enough and took advantage of the move to abandon old pronouns. While they were fine with "he" or "she" - either were common depending on how someone read their androgynous presentation - their favorite was singular "they", something they delightedly told those few people who pushed past the awkwardness to ask "what are you?!"
Alkess took to the new craft well. It was difficult, of course, transferring all your skills to an entirely new anatomy, but they at least had a good starting point. This was how you used herbs, this was how you stitched things... There were differences - finding out which herbs worked on dragons that didn't on humans and vice versa - but they loved the challenge.
Alkess loved their new home but was certainly aware of how people muttered about their strangeness. By the time Alkess was 20, they had abandoned their baggy, shapeless clothes, deciding they might as well dress how they liked. It wasn't like people didn't wonder at their gender just because they couldn't see their body, after all. With the new clothing - skirts combined with a man's shirt over a flat chest, or men's pants paired with a frilly blouse - came new harrassment.
When they were 23, they finally reached the breaking point. They had just walked the tables to be a journeyman dragonhealer and were being harrassed on a daily basis. When it finally upped to physical violence, a drunk dragonrider cornering them one night and demanding to know what was under their skirt, Alkess decided they needed to get away. It was a miracle nothing worse had happened by now, really, and they knew that.
The next time they saw an unfamiliar dragonrider, they strode up to them and asked point blank if they were with the Rebellion. This earned a startled look and a punch, but Alkess tried again (once the swelling on their eye had gone down). On the eighth rider, after being glared at several times and just stared down several more, Alkess was shocked to get a very tentative, quiet yes. They hadn't actually thought that would work, to be honest.
Eventually, the rider agreed to bring Alkess to Rindell and the agender dragonhealer found a new home.
When a wher clutch hatched in nearby Rindell village, Alkess was on hand to make sure no babies were harmed in any way. To their surprise, there was one less wher candidate than wher. Alkess hesitated and then, once they got approval, sliced their hand with a knife, extended it to the last wher, and bonded to a garnet.
Dragon/Wher
Name: Alsk
Pronunciation: all-sk
Age: 6 months (early spring T203)
Type: Wher
Rank: Garnet
Size: 6 feet
Color Codes: 660000
Appearance: Alsk is somewhat bulky for a garnet, even for a wher. Combined with his dark color, nearly black, some at first mistake him for a brown. Closer up, though, you will see that he is most certainly a garnet. While most of his hide is a dark red which nearly ceases to be red at all, brighter red is splashed across the tops of his wings and down his back. The way he likes to think of it is that it looks like someone above him was stabbed and their bright crimson blood spattered over him. Alkess prefers to think of it like little freckles, especially as there is a spattering of these lighter, brighter dots over his nose.
Personality: Alsk is protective, possessive, and jealous. That about sums him up. Mix in some violent tendencies and you've got Alsk. Poking into their mind, he can see the harrassment - verbal, physical, and sexual - Alkess suffered before bonding to him. Alsk is determined never to let this happen to His again. Since the entire world is full of assholes, in his opinion, it is his job to keep everyone and everything away from Alkess. He will be their only friend, and surely that is enough. Why would it not be? He tries to keep people away by being grumpy and ill-tempered at them. If that doesn't work, he'll move up to threats. If that still doesn't work, he'll move up to violence. And after that...well, he's never had to kill anyone yet but don't think he hasn't thought about it.
Sometimes, of course, people are determined to get to know you. If someone can withstand all that he throws at them and get close enough to Alkess for the wherhandler to consider them a friend, Alsk will (reluctantly) change gears. Now, this person is also to be protected. AKA isolated and coralled, because the world is dangerous and surely anyone who might harm Alkess (read: everyone) might harm Alkess' friends and loved ones.
Of course, there is an ulterior motive to all of Alsk's posturing. He is jealous. He hates the idea that Alkess may like someone more than him, and fears that this is what will happen if they get close to someone else. Alsk knows that humans have Needs. Needs which Alsk cannot meet. Surely if Alkess befriends someone, Alkess will sleep with that someone, and then they will fall in love and make babies and Alsk will be alone and sad and NO. Not allowed. Alsk is sure he can guarantee that he is always loved by making sure no one else loves Alkess or vice versa. If he has to eat everyone else on Pern, he will do it.
Mind-Voice (If applicable):
Alsk's voice is smooth. Give him an hour or two and he'll convince you to kill your grandmother. He speaks in low, calming tones which lull you into a false sense of security. He very rarely raises his voice.
