Difference between revisions of "Dahlia"

This queen is at once delicate and earthy; though not lacking for curves in the line of her shoulders and hindquarters; she's light and lithely built, rippled over with warm wheaten gold from her slim muzzle to the slender tail that makes up most of her length. Brighter, purer gold highlights the ridges of large, disarmingly curious eyes, even as her wide wingsails' translucent swirl unites airy sunshine with the potential for darker turbulence. Only once more do those soft grains of color diverge: in her small paws, colored a copper verging on fallen leaves-- or old and rusted blood.

Captain's Lucky Egg

The fact that this egg is the largest of the clutch only makes the strange warping of the egg more noticeable. It is enough alone to worry anyone, but more worrisome perhaps because this egg is covered in a pure, only somewhat blemished gold. Faint spots shadow the egg against the burnished, cast gold, while the colors weave to form the impression of a woman's profile when the light casts on one side of the egg. When the light shifts, on the other, one can make out what seems to be a bird clutching a fistful of arrows.

The Captain's Lucky Egg starts to shiver and crack under the pressure of the dragonet inside, a whirling gaze peering out from the darkness of a hole in that opens as part of the shell flakes off. Whatever is seen of the sands and Candidates, there is a sudden burst of energy against the shell that reveals her to the world. She is tiny, yes, but it's with a tenacity that the little dragonet draws herself up to take in the newly revealed world around her.

Tenacity In A Tiny Gold

This tiny queen, at once delicate and earthy, might never be a fearsome creature; she's so light and lithely built, rippled over with warm wheaten gold from her slim muzzle to the slender tail that makes up most of her length. Brighter, purer gold highlights the ridges of large, disarmingly curious eyes, even as her wide wingsails' translucent swirl unites airy sunshine with the potential for darker turbulence. Only once more do those soft grains of color diverge: in her small paws, colored a copper verging on fallen leaves-- or old and rusted blood.

Temperament

Don't let her deceptive appearance fool you, Dee; you have had trouble on your hands from the moment Taeliyth looked into your eyes and spoke straight into your heart. It isn't that Taeliyth herself is trouble, but rather that it seems to follow her around-- or does she seem to find it by sticking herself into situations in which she doesn't belong, driven by her desire to fix things? (Sound familiar?)

Taeliyth is very much her father's daughter in her early days, with an excess of energy and pride that drives her to prove herself from right out of the shell. It will seem to you, likely, that she does not sleep as much as her brothers and sisters, driven by some internal fuel instead. She will want to do and see everything, constantly hungry to learn more. You will have to restrain her, when her curiosity can lead her into danger, blithely and literally walking into it unaware. It will be harder to restrain her from the way she will question those around her; the weyrlingmasters' dragons, her sire and dam, even her brothers and sisters will not be safe from being interrogated about any and every subject as she attempts to unravel the secrets of the world around her.

As she grows, she will learn to temper herself with patience, to observe and not necessarily act on what she learns. But she will begin to insist that you record everything: draw exactly how that rider's face looked as he took a walk of shame from that greenrider's weyr (who just so happens to be weyrmated to someone else), or to write down in tedious detail everything that the Weyrwoman said in that conversation you just had with her, so that it can be remembered later. She insists that these will be useful later, and you will find, if you listen to her, that they will be. She has a hidden gift for picking out the important details in what you might find inane and boring, even catching inflection.

Another one of her gifts that may delight you both to discover is that Taeliyth's buried intuition can feel when someone is lying to her or you by extension. Dragon or human, she will gradually develop the ability to pick up on the subtle clues that might be invisible to the rest of us, though by no means will it be perfect. Particularly practiced liars and actors can certainly fool her, and even those that aren't may be able to slip a lie past her when there is an emotional element that she sympathizes with.

She's likely to discover the power of her color sooner than most, and she will not be above using that for her own purposes. In fact, she is not above using anything available to her to ensure that everything is going to her plans, that she knows what is happening in her Weyr. At first, her primary resources (other than yourself!) will be her brothers and sisters: Uiysath's fight and Zymadiath's vigilance. She will attempt to direct Nasmaeth's impulsivity in a way that suits her and she may even be more likely to consider Caidelyth's perceptiveness than others. (Sadly, even Taeliyth will find it hard to find usefulness in Lucuxyth, except his loyalty.) They may quickly become part of her team, as she attempts to draw them into her schemes just as she does you. As she starts to take notice of males and they take notice of her, she will be willing to use that as well, if that is the path of least resistance to getting what she feels she needs. Never, either, will she be above playing dumb.

None of this is done selfishly (though she may enjoy someone's rightful comeuppance), and that you will especially learn as you graduate from weyrlinghood and into your responsibilities as a weyrwoman, Dahlia. Everything that Taeliyth does is to make sure that everything is happening as it should; that no one is getting away with something that would hurt the Weyr or those within. Everything is to make her, and you, better in your wing and in your duties. She will be quite the addition to Citrine in this way, if Elaruth and Eliyaveith and their riders are willing to overlook how she comes by her information.

When she takes to the air, there will be a tenacity to the way she flies, as if she is fighting the very wind and air around her. Like her dam, she isn't graceful in flight; that would require Taeliyth to embrace the currents and let them carry her. It could be hard to say whether she loves flying or not; she doesn't revel in it like Isyath or avoid it like Eliyaveith. To her, it's a tool to be used as appropriate and a way to see more of the world than she could from the ground below.

Mating flights, by nature, are different for her. It is the one time that Taeliyth will readily give up her control to passion and emotions, to love. That is what they will be to her; she won't be able to separate her feelings out from it like other queens and choose what is best for the Weyr or the clutch. Indeed, she might end up making a lot of bad choices, if she feels especially strongly for the 'wrong' bronze or brown(s). She isn't blind to their worst qualities, either, but she might find herself having a hard time resisting the pull of a particularly charming, dangerous dragon. She won't be particularly swayed by your wants in this, Dee; the choices she may make one day in this might result in lives ruined, blood shed.

When the eggs come, Taeliyth's skills of observation will temper the long hours of inactivity. No one extolls the pleasantness of egg-sitting, but she will be ever watchful and waiting, if not exactly protective of her eggs, until the moment comes that the dragonets hatch. You might find that the line of maternal instinct passed from Peirith to Elaruth to Eliyaveith has missed the mark with Taeliyth. It isn't that she may not take an interest in her children, but once hatched they become another part of the Weyr as a whole for her to care for, rather than held apart.

Your new position in life may feel like a burden, Dahlia, but Taeliyth is ready to face and conquer this new challenge even if you are not. It does not matter to her, at least, what others think of you or her, because she knows that the pair of you will do what is best for those that hold your loyalty. And while she may act uncaring and reserved, make no mistake; at heart, your dragon is a marshmallow.

Public Impression Message

Considering the last hatching, it is no surprise that Eliyaveith watches her daughter with attentive concern as the Tenacity In A Tiny Gold Hatchling approaches none of the Candidates, for all that she watches them from a distance. Yet for a moment, her swirling gaze locks on a dark-haired Southerner and Impression is made even with the length of sand between them. Only after does she move to her chosen girl expectantly.

Private Impression Message

Your journey begins so innocuously, Dee; at first, it is only the feeling of being watched, and even that can be dismissed in this moment with all of the eyes in the galleries on the sands. Then that feeling intensifies until it leaves you dizzy and disoriented, just as the sands under your feet transform into a broad, waiting path through a lush forest. And it is a voice that beckons to you, speaking « Come, Dahlia. » She doesn't wait for you to take those steps forward, physically or emotional, because suddenly that gold is at your feet as if she's ready to drag you and wrapping around your heart as her millions of paths blossom into your mind. And you suddenly know that it is Taeliyth who speaks as she continues, « It is time for us to step forward. We will show them what we are made of, Dee. »

Mindvoice

Taeliyth's physical earthiness carries through to her mental voice, at once a warm contralto and an inner world that changes and grows with each traveler's visit. Ideas come and go easily with Taeliyth, and with them, the variety of paths that comprise her thoughts; rarely is there a single way to go, any one true path as there was when you found each other at last. Rather, there are possibilities. These possibility present themselves in a myriad of ways, depending on Taeliyth's mood; One can find themselves presented with a path that holds just brambles blocking the way if she is upset and wants to be alone, or the bloom of flowers when she is happy. Often, there is the feeling of being watched, intensifying when she feels especially curious or suspicious. It may even be more subtle than that, for only Taeliyth truly knows her paths, though you may grow to glean understanding from them.

Suggested Adult Description

This queen is at once delicate and earthy; though not lacking for curves in the line of her shoulders and hindquarters; she's light and lithely built, rippled over with warm wheaten gold from her slim muzzle to the slender tail that makes up most of her length. Brighter, purer gold highlights the ridges of large, disarmingly curious eyes, even as her wide wingsails' translucent swirl unites airy sunshine with the potential for darker turbulence. Only once more do those soft grains of color diverge: in her small paws, colored a copper verging on fallen leaves-- or old and rusted blood.

Name Meaning

Your dragon's name is a play on your inspiration, in a way. She's a marshmallow. And the plant that the marshmallow comes from is the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Althaea_officinalis, which I then twisted into a way that I enjoyed. The 'L' ended near the end and once I did that, I saw the perfect opportunity to sneak in some of Eliyaveith's name, then dropped the double 'TH', and after the whole explanation, that is that.

Inspiration

I'm not going to lie; there is a lot of Veronica Mars here. That is a lot of Taeliyth. I really loved that inspiration and ran with it, probably too much. Of course, you are always feel free to pick and choose what you play and make it work for you. I won't be offended! I wish I could have brought in more of your other inspirations, but it was hard without reading the book and I didn't have time. N'rov wrote her desc, after I gave the starting point of this picture: here. Going for a more grown-up Veronica of the movie rather than the beach blonde of the show. N'rov pulled in some influences of gold from Uprooted ("On the last day, I found us a clearing in the woods where the trees still had their leaves, golden and flame-red rustling all above us, with ripe chestnuts all over the ground") along with 'Fields of Gold' covered by Eva Cassidy and this picture: here. That played into her mindvoice as well, pulling it back in with Uprooted with the touches of magic and some hint of Veronica Mars that I thought worked (mostly, the feeling of being watched).

Egg Inspiration: Inspired by the story of Lt. George Dixon's 'lucky' coin that was discovered on the Hunley and detailed in this article: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/05/0524_hunleycoin.html.

Born to bluerider N'jem and greenrider Zennia of Southern Weyr, Dahlia is the product of a happy weyrmating. Though there were unhappy moments, as in every life a little rain must fall, her childhood was largely happy. Jemizen, Dahlia's not-even-a-turn younger brother who dubbed her Dee from their earliest babbling, brought only a quarter (perhaps half) as much trouble as he did joy, so as her constant companion and best friend, he was forgiven all the extra chores, scoldings and scrapes she found herself with.

The two were about as normal as weyrbrats raised largely by their own parents could be. They spent what time was made necessary by conflicting duties with the nannies and other children of the Weyr, but only that. Their free time was spent with a rag-tag bunch of littles their age, playing tag, hide and seek, games of make-believe and all manner of other games expected of active children. Dee, especially, found a love of the outdoors and particularly the vast variety of flora found about the Weyr and in the surrounding jungles at a young age.

It was this love that marked the first division in Dee's path with her brother. Around the age of ten, she happened upon a most wondrous place: the bungalow that served as workspace for the posted farmcrafter whose purview was to visit the outlying holdings and assist with the cultivation of northern crops in this southern clime. She wasn't supposed to be there, but hiding places Jem didn't know about were few and far between, so she'd ducked in before he could follow. She was transfixed by the plants, the rows, and rows of plants. As she turned to leave, a grizzled old(er than her parents) man stepped into her path. As punishment for her trespass, he put her to work. If only he'd known then what one afternoon of weeding would truly cultivate: his new apprentice, two turns hence.

Dee began eschewing the games Jem and the others played after chore times to help Old Guzman, as she took to calling him, with the plants. She had always been a nerd, enjoying whatever time she could get curled up with a good book (often reading aloud to Jem), and now she had someone knowledgeable that she could pester. He let her, so long as she also helped. She did, and not just in the childish way that she was used to helping around the Weyr with collecting the napkins from the caverns after lunch and taking them to the laundresses or hunting tunnelsnakes, but in real ways. The seeds and seedlings she helped him with were going to help people grow their own crops and feed their families. Perhaps it was selfish, but she found satisfaction in knowing she was really making a difference. (It probably never once occurred to her that Master Guzman could almost certainly have done all the work on his own.)

Still, by the time she was twelve, Dee had convinced him of her dedication and drive to learn and he (reluctantly) agreed to take her on as his apprentice. For the next five turns, the girl was as devoted a student as Guzman might have wished for (except when Jem coaxed her off the straight and narrow to throw caution and responsibility to the wind). She spent months here and there at the Hall attending classes that Guzman insisted she needed other teachers for. The first time she went to the Hall, she almost chose to stay. Nerat was beautiful, and the Hall well-equipped, staffed, and there was so much knowledge all in one place! It excited her more than it probably should have, but she couldn't bear the thought of staying so far from her home.

Life at home fell into well-managed patterns. Jem could keep his chaos (and drag her along into it sometimes), Dee liked routine. She liked study and stealing time to go catch (imaginary) "moonfish" for wishes in the summer surf. She liked talking to the plants, singing to them, and helping Old Guzman for all that his demeanor got worse every turn. His sourness and negativity had no hold on her optimistic spirit. As far as Dee was concerned, life was good...

... was good. It was good. Until Jem took it into his head to volunteer to go to Fort Weyr, where he would be expected to Stand as a candidate for Elaruth's clutch, if asked. Until her father used her love for him to get her to go, to keep him out of trouble and bring him home safely, if he didn't find a lifemate on the Sands. Until he used it to get her to go to Fort where she would be expected to accept an offer to Stand, too, an offer she couldn't-- wouldn't be able to refuse for the honor of her home.

Dee's time as a candidate was transformative. Between a landslide, a green betweening after hatching from Elaruth's clutch and choosing to stay on to Stand for Eliyaveith's eggs with its dented golden egg and covertly collaborating with her fellow candidates to try to feed a supposedly starving Hold, Dee was a different girl by the time the eggs hatched. Most unexpected was her Impression to Tenacity in a Tiny Gold Taeliyth and all the realities of that come with the life of a goldrider.

Her time since Impression and Lilah's rise to acting Weywroman and then vanishing has been spent thrown into learning everything she might need to know in the coming turns; despite the small hiccup of her first betweening attempt landing her in Southern Weyr's sky instead of Fort's, she came out of weyrlinghood a(n arguably) promising (if so young) candidate for the role of Weyrwoman. Despite her efforts to become better and more the Weyrwoman Fort would need, the unexpected hit Fort in the form of a plague. Dahlia fell ill and shortly after the Weyr Council convened and voted to throw open the Weyrwomanship of Fort to the next gold to rise.

Not even two days after Dahlia was released from the infirmary, Mirinda's gold Zaisavyth went proddy and came to Fort, rising within the day to claim the seniorship. Rumors question if Dahlia meant to fight for seniorship or if she might be secretly relieved not to have to be a Senior Weyrwoman at the age of 18. To all appearances, she seems to be working well with both Mirinda and N'rov in the wake of the tragedy the plague has caused for the sweep of Fort.

|- |Father |N'jem |Southern Weyr Bluerider |70 turns |- |Mother |Zennia |Southern Weyr Greenrider |67 turns |- |Sister |Zezenia |Southern Weyr Child |30 turns |}

Nohari/Johari

• Johari Window
• Nohari Window

Dahlia has been in a total of 188 total logs, 13 vignettes, and 5 game updates.

2016.02.27: New Pairs in the Barracks
Who: Ay'zan, Br'and, Catling, D'aeo, Dahlia, Kh'tyr, Olivya
When: Day 18, Month 2, Turn 40 (Interval 10)
What: Immediately after Taeliyth and Leczuth's eggs hatching, there are new dragons and their needs to be seen to!

2016.02.27: Post Hatching Feast at Fort
Who: Farideh, Quint, Dahlia, Jocelyn, T'gar, Jo, Olivya
When: Day 18, Month 2, Turn 40 (Interval 10)
What: A feast after Fort Weyr's hatching.

2016.02.27: Taeliyth and Leczuth's Eggs Hatch!
Who: Dahlia, Estanei, A'sran, N'rov, Mirinda, Quint, Farideh, K'del, Jocelyn, Jo, Silva, T'gar, Olivya, Kh'tyr, D'aeo, Catling, Ay'zan, Br'and
When: Day 18, Month 2, Turn 40 (Interval 10)
What: Taeliyth and Leczuth's eggs hatch.

2016.02.25: Impudent Guessing Games
Who: A'sran, Dahlia
When: Day 12, Month 2, Turn 40 (Interval 10)
What: Clutchparents make guesses about the hatching to come and discuss, briefly, deeper things.

2016.02.25: Real Eggs and Jobs
Who: Catling, Dahlia, Br'and
When: Day 12, Month 2, Turn 40 (Interval 10)
What: Dahlia has more candidates out to touch eggs. Taeliyth cuts things short, but not before some chatter is exchanged.

2016.02.25: An Egg Touching Check-In
Who: Dahlia, Ay'zan
When: Day 12, Month 2, Turn 40 (Interval 10)
What: Dahlia checks in with Candidate Ninwayzan during an egg touching.

2016.02.26: Limiting Futures
Who: Dahlia, T'gar
When: Day 25, Month 1, Turn 40 (Interval 10)
What: Rat visits Dahlia a couple sevens before the eggs hatch. They talk of impending graduation and limited futures among other things.

2016.02.16: (Un)Sentimental
Who: Alida, Dahlia
When: Day 13, Month 1, Turn 40 (Interval 10)
What: Alida comes to give Dahlia a gift that was Lilah's. It doesn't go as she'd planned.

2016.02.13: Comparative Experience
Who: Catling, Dahlia, Jocelyn
When: Day 4, Month 1, Turn 40 (Interval 10)
What: Dahlia, Jocelyn and Catling discuss candidacy and weyrlinghood.

2016.02.04: A Candidate's Questions
Who: Dahlia, Ay'zan
When: Day 5, Month 13, Turn 39 (Interval 10)
What: Dahlia runs into now-candidate Ninwayzan. She answers some of his questions about dragons.

2016.01.27: Clutching Dinner Considerations
Who: Dahlia, Ay'zan
When: Day 9, Month 12, Turn 39 (Interval 10)
What: At the clutching dinner, Dahlia meets the architect of many delectable desserts and recommends he consider the possibility of being asked to Stand.

2016.01.27: Not Completely Tired
Who: A'sran, Dahlia
When: Day 9, Month 12, Turn 39 (Interval 10)
What: With the clutching finally finished, the clutchparents and their riders check in.

2016.01.25: Simple Kindness
Who: Dahlia, D'aeo
When: Day 3, Month 12, Turn 39 (Interval 10)
What: Dahlia seeks refuge from the storm when Daemon is on duty; small kindnesses and introductions are exchanged.

2016.01.20: Dragonlumberjacks
Who: Dahlia, N'rov, Roveny
When: Day 16, Month 11, Turn 39 (Interval 10)
What: Dahlia scopes out N'rov's willingness to do a deal with WoodCraft.

2016.01.19: Nearly Irresponsible
Who: A'sran, Dahlia
When: Day 13, Month 11, Turn 39 (Interval 10)
What: A'sran and Dahlia attend Southern Hold's gather for a little while.

2016.01.17: Mr. & Ms. Right Now
Who: Dahlia, T'gar
When: Day 10, Month 11, Turn 39 (Interval 10)
What: T'gar goes to Fort to see Dahlia's digs.

2016.01.17: Fear of Rejection
Who: D'vro, Dahlia
When: Day 5, Month 11, Turn 39 (Interval 10)
What: D'vro and Dahlia both have large dragons to clean; it turns out they have similar fears in common when it comes to each other.

2016.01.15: Always Choices
Who: A'sran, Catling, Dahlia
When: Day 1, Month 11, Turn 39 (Interval 10)
What: Two riders and a resident talk about choices and other things.

2016.01.14: Welcome Home, Ead
Who: Dahlia, Ead
When: Day 26, Month 10, Turn 39 (Interval 10)
What: Dahlia welcomes her clutchmate back from Southern Weyr.

2016.01.10: R'oan's Son
Who: Dahlia, Br'and
When: Day 14, Month 10, Turn 39 (Interval 10)
What: Dahlia makes time to meet with R'oan's bastard son, Breirande.

... further results

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