[wingsecond] Argathi of Brown Genkuroth [Approved]

[Sweet Symmetry]

Name: Argathi
Age: 85
Nameday: 3490.02.03
Sex: Female
Sexual Orientation: Extremely picky bisexual
Weyr: High Reaches Weyr
Rider Rank: Burning Aces Wingsecond
Previous Rank/Craft: Wingrider, Apprentice Dragonhealer

Physical Description:
Thin and gaunt, Argathi wouldn’t win beauty contests. It takes a special kind of eye to appreciate the sharp angles of her face, and the sternness of her overall look. She is more slender and lean, a willow tree, perhaps, or a spider. There is muscle- oh yes, she works hard for her dragonriding duties- but there is most definitely a pronounced lack of meat to the bone. The brownrider is relatively tall for a woman, at 5’9, but may seem shorter due to her habit of lurking in the background. Despite this, she has fairly good- if rigid- posture.

Almond-shaped, shrewd, steely grey eyes have the ability to pierce a person from a distance: they convey cold haughtiness and wry, grim humour, and that is about it. She has very angular features, with a long, sharp nose and a thin mouth often drawn into a frown. With high cheekbones and rather sunken cheeks, Argy might almost seem haunted if it weren’t for the liveliness of her expression. There is an air of waiting about her, an air of someone who is biding their time…

Her complexion is very pale, and her hair falls in faint, ash-blonde waves to her shoulders. A fringe is swept away from her face, adding layers to her hair. She dresses in darker colours, preferring deeper blues and purples, and has an unspoken fondness for shawls (especially of the woolly kind). Her prized possession is a broach of dark green, once belonging to her mother, that she uses to fasten shawl or scarf about her person. The overall look is one of a stern matron, and Argathi is very proud of it.

Personality:
Some might look at Argathi and think ‘aww, what a sweet old lady’- wrong. Ignorant and wrong. Beware, for even the brightest, most colourful spiders still weave their webs and catch their prey, and the Turns have only sharpened Argy’s touch. A brilliant mind lurks beneath sharp eyes, and a wan, pale smile only conceals the harsh judgement formulated at your expense. She does not suffer fools, nor time-wasters.

With an iron will cultivated over Turns of hard-work, dedication and a desire to advance in life, Argathi is very rarely dissuaded from her chosen course. Certainly, she is not an unreasonable woman, but she trusts very few to have her best intentions at heart, and will consider their opinions with a great deal of thought. All this to say that she knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to chase it- ambitious, perhaps, but not without skill and practice.

When it comes to her Weyr and home, Argathi is a bit of a stickler and traditionalist. She very strongly believe High Reaches’ survival is due to its endearing adherence to tradition, and has a healthy respect for its leaders. Though at first she may seem self-serving through choosing to focus on her career goals at the expense of personal relationships and sometimes even the welfare of herself and those close to her, she would gladly lay down her life to advance the prosperity and cause of High Reaches itself. She is dedicated and loyal when called upon, fully cognisant of the risks that might be asked of her to undertake.

Responsible, experienced and mature, Argathi is more than capable of keeping her head in times of crises. She has a plan of action, a contingency plan, a backup plan, a worst-case scenario, a fallback plan, and at least several replacements should something go wrong. She is the kind of woman who packs ten pairs of socks for a three day trip, who carries a small medical pack on her at all times, and who knows exactly how many exits are in the room. She will never admit to being caught unaware, and as a woman who puts a great deal of time and effort into preparation and work, is very rarely so. Fastidious and meticulous, she is proud of her accomplishments, of her duty-bound ways and of her hard-working nature. She expects others to act similarly, and will not refrain from showing her disappointment when they fail her.

Her fuse is short. Argathi has a reputation for being bad-tempered, and it is not wholly undeserved. Her manner of speaking is blunt, and her judgement of others can border on harsh. She is extremely critical- of both herself and others- and will spare nobody’s feelings if she thinks they need to hear the truth. When it comes to more empathic matters, Argathi often finds herself preferring to remain aloof and disconnected from the situation: she is not especially well-tuned to her own emotions, let alone the emotions of those around her. It is difficult, but not impossible, to evoke compassion and understanding from her- although she does at times fake it. Truly, it’s just a matter of time and patience, to chisel away at that very icy heart…

In the domain of romance, Argathi is very careful indeed. She once harboured a very long love for someone, but found herself disenchanted and disillusioned when they did not live up to her expectations. Nowadays, she does not spare a second thought for the notion of love- feeling only a sense of duty towards her Weyr-fellows. Flightlust is, of course, dealt with accordingly, and certainly people can be appreciated for the fleeting beauty that they bring to the world… but nothing really lasts, right? Argy is nothing if not a calculating cynic.

Positive Trait List Clever - Strong-willed - Unflappable
Negative Trait List Blunt - Cold-hearted - Bad-tempered

History:
Argathi was the result of Flightlove. Bluerider Margas of Sansaikith, and Greenrider H’athi of Finnaeth, were occasional partners brought together by their dragons’ fondness for each other. The baby was left with the creche nannies after given a name; Argathi saw little of her parents, who were more preoccupied with their lives as dragonriders even in a time of relative peace.

The baby never lacked for love, but it was easy to see that she was old before her time. Argathi didn’t have fun in the same way that other children did- she liked things that made sense: logic and lessons, rules and discipline. The world was better when there was order in it. She didn’t necessarily take to positions of authority, being quieter and more reserved than other weyrbrats, but she understood more than she let on, and proved her cunning as she grew by scheming against those who personally bothered her.

At twelve, she apprenticed to the healers, but had no desire to leave the Weyr. Her interest in dragons was a thing of her blood- never afraid of heights or the sheer, awesome power of these great and noble creatures, Argathi knew she wanted to help them as best as she could. She was especially fond of Sansaikith and Finnaeth, who seemed to, over the Turns, show more interest in her than her own biological parents. The young girl wasn’t so bothered by this fact; but here was the true starting point of her dragon fixation.

She began to Stand as soon as she turned fourteen, fulfilling her healing duties in the interim. The Journeymen who taught her remarked on her intellect, praising her ability to diagnose even in the midst of a crisis, but criticised her distinct lack of bedmanner and compassion. She was encouraged to specialise in triage and emergency healing, tending to accidents that may have scared the more faint of heart. She discovered she had a rather steely gut and did not flinch in the face of the macabre.

It took four Turns of waiting and patience, but Argathi was rewarded. In 3508, on stifling golden sands, she watched as young dragons once more broke free of their shells. She held her breath as a green or a blue would pass nearby, and stop the resultant disappointment from cracking that thick outer shell she had nurtured. Oh… Argathi… Are you ready to be born anew? Your Genkuroth has many thoughts on how this world should work. Hunger dominated her mind, a fierce explosion that was quickly brushed away by immovable, immutable love. The dark brown dragon crossed the sands at a languorous pace, a piece of eggshell still clinging to his headknob. Argathi breathed a sigh of relief, a small smile breaking her cold mask. “Genkuroth… Took you long enough to get here.” She raised a slightly shaking hand and brushed his snout, pausing to scratch sensitive eyeridges before gentle fingers found their way up his headknobs, hesitantly removing the piece of shell. “But all is well. We’ll do what we can, won’t we?” With grace and good humour- no doubt his, seeping into her- she led him to the feeding tables.

In training, they were amongst the top of their class. Argathi was a paragon of discipline and studiousness. Genkuroth, on the other hand… he had a penchant for mischief that Argy had not quite fully understood. Though he was often a solitary creature, preferring his, or their, company, he liked to play jokes on his siblings. Before long, it became a contest of wills between the two: Argathi’s steely resolve versus Gen’s wiley inner fire. It is a contest that is still fought to this day, traded in little quips or barbs, in huffs or taps, in an affectionate headboop or caress. Neither one yields- and neither expects it. Their love is so profound that any dichotomy between them melts away in its presence.

Still, they graduated without too many problems, Argathi proving herself more than capable of handling her dragon’s more underhanded schemes. She was tapped for a wing, and set herself to drills. Life was a routine that Argathi loved, even as Genkuroth strived to saddle the boundary between good and naughty.

During her early adulthood, she fell in love with a fellow rider. The relationship consumed Turns of her focus, and resulted in a long-lasting bitterness that Argathi hides to this day. She became more taciturn and reclusive as she aged, developing a cool haughtiness in her fifties more appropriate of a highborn socialite than a brownrider, but advantageous in protecting herself. Hurt, yes, and she wrestled with anger and disappointment for a while. Genkuroth- caring and loving beneath a veneer of playful, subtle trickery, comforted her. He had always been there. And they had always had plans together, remember? They had a whole Weyr to influence.

Turns passed. And then Thread returned.

The world was thrown into chaos. Families torn asunder. Homes- whole Holds- lay in ruins. Parts of Pern that had flourished were now husks, shells of their former glory. High Reaches reeled and collected, rallying around a dragonrider’s obligation and duty to their world. And as they rose to fight, they, too, suffered losses amongst their numbers.

Margas and Sansaikith never returned that day.

The woman and her brown mourned- for as she had become a rider and joined the Wings, her relationship with her parents had grown somewhat warmer. If it had never been filled with filial love, than at least it was filled with the affection and respect awarded to one’s closest comrades. There was no time to sit back and reflect, nor did Argathi want to unpack that pain; there was a duty to be done. A threat to vanquish.

And so now Argathi assumes a stoic position, continuing to fight and fly in a cold and dispassionate manner. Chances are, they will die. She knows this. Genkuroth knows this. The Weyr knows they must fight if they are to survive. There is no other choice.

Other: Argathi's past lover is open if anybody is interested in filling that spot!


DRAGON

Name: Genkuroth
Age: 67
Color: Brown
Size: 38’

Physical Description:
A rotund creature who may strike some as a rather squat bulldog, rather than an actual dragon. He has rounded features, but his headknobs seem strangely pointed by comparison. Despite his odd features, he is an acrobatic and elegant flier. On the ground, he tends to to hop or hover more than actually walk, making it seem like Genkuroth floats instead of walks. Needless to say, he is a little more uncoordinated when he is not flying.

Oddly enough, he is often found grinning- teeth glinting in the sun, eyes wide and whirling a blue-green…

Personality:
Genkuroth is nothing if not a handful: he has an extraordinary amount of cheeky spirit beneath his roly-poly, cuddly appearance. He enjoys playing jokes and tricks on others to amuse himself and those closest to him- although Argathi disapproves of his antics, and strives every day to keep him in check. It is a never-ending battle of wits.

He has a calmer, more serious side, especially when it comes to his rider’s welfare. He wants nothing more than to see her smile and for her to be happy, and will stick to the shadows as that is where she prefers to be. He has a surprising amount of empathy, especially for detecting sadness in others, and would have made a good Search dragon had he or his rider any desire to go and interact with strangers. As it is, it’s probably a good thing he isn’t frequently sent to Holds to inspect their people- who knows what kind of chaos he might cause…

Genkuroth is a stubborn, proud creature who won’t readily admit defeat. He knows his strengths quite well when it comes to Falls and Flights, but often needs Argathi’s guidance in not pushing himself too hard. He can be encouraged to listen and obey, even if all he wants is to lark about and play. Though he can be wily at times, it is not overly difficult to convince him that his duty is important: he likes to see other dragons and people laughing, and Thread goes against that.

He has a strange view of the world: he wants everyone to be united in laughter and good times, but hasn’t quite figured out how to fit in with them… Sometimes his words can be cruel, and his actions malicious, but he never intentionally meant any hurt by them. As a consequence, he quite enjoys his mostly solitary existence, knowing folks won’t be quite so bothered if he isn’t around them as much. Still, it’d be nice to have proper friends. Ones who would tolerate him and his plans? Ah, yes, quite lovely indeed...

Dragon Art or Proof of Obtainment: Wingsecond Contest!  

[Sweet Symmetry]

Aged her up to 85. Thanks Cheri! Let me know if anything else needs fixing.