[Old Biddy] Talayla of Gold Ageiroth [Approved]

[sariraii]

Name: Talayla
Age: 98 Turns as of 3575.08.16
Nameday: 3477.07.22
Sex: Female (Cis, She/her)
Sexual Orientation: Overall, not super interested in sex or romance
Weyr: High Reaches Weyr
Rider Rank: Semi-Retired Rider
Previous Rank/Craft: Jr. Weyrwoman
Physical Description: With long white hair tumbling down to her mid-back, Talayla silvered early and easily. She wears her hair down, but often with some kind of intricate design, such as the wisps by her face pulled back and bound into a bun behind her head, or braided with flowers and beads. Her hair has a slight wave, and despite its gray-white color, looks healthy, every bit as thick and lovely as her "golden" turns. Her skin tone is pale, lacking the rosy cheeks or hints of color that would make her seem a little less like a doll. It's only the liver spots and wrinkles that have appeared with age that make her look more human, changing the appearance of her pale skin. She was quite the beauty in her youth, but remains lovely even without her youth.

As it is, her features are exaggerated, with large, doe-like brown eyes and full lips. Despite this, her cheeks have started to sag with wrinkles and her eyes show her age. Her forehead shows wrinkles from many turns of raising an eyebrow at the poor behavior of others, and her lips, despite being full, show turns of her signature coy smile.

In size, Talayla is a wisp of a woman. While not frail, and certainly still suited to the rider lifestyle, she's grown slimmer with age and her hands have begun to shake, just a tad. She's short, standing a hair under 5', and while she is still fit, she certainly feels past her prime.

Personality: Talayla is no longer a wild child; she is now a difficult adult. It's her way or the highway, and she puts her foot down on anything she doesn't agree with. She's very feisty, with an attitude to anyone who tries to tell her what to do. She's mellowed out with age, and listens to others when it's important, but she's generally a difficult woman who prefers to be in control. Clearly, Talayla knows best, and you know nothing. Respect your elders, young one! Especially when they ride gold, and are responsible for leading the weyr to success! (No, they didn't lead the Weyr, but that's irrelevant. They contributed! The Weyr would be nothing without their leadership.) (Note: they didn't actually do anything.)

Despite her small size, Talayla is concentrated attitude. She is confident and won't let herself be pushed around. She knows her rank, so you should know your place. Traditional through-and-through, she believes strongly in the way things are, and treats chromatics like they are lesser. She's not especially nice to anyone, of course, and everyone fulfills their role, but she has a certain sense of "better than you." She buys into the color system, and won't hesitate to enforce it. She's got the most authority ever, obviously, because she's your elder AND a goldrider. She demands respect.

Tradition is vital. She doesn't like white dragons, and dislikes the shifts towards more equality in some weyrs. Browns shouldn't Impress to girls, and CERTAINLY shouldn't be in charge of anything. Even wingsecond, in her opinion, is too much. She can be a bit rigid, stuck in the past, but it's worked well for High Reaches, with the return of thread, so she sticks by it. Stubborn to a T, she digs her heels in when she disagrees and good luck changing her mind. She can be more than a bit rigid, and hates changes in plans or doing things differently. Not especially creative or resourceful, she nonetheless works hard. She maintains the militaristic, regimented High Reaches mindset above all else.

When it comes to sharing her opinions, Talayla doesn't hold back. She has a strong will and is certainly opinionated--even when no one asked for her opinion. It's as if she doesn't realize that she's not in charge, and gives her two cents on everything. She can be overly critical and disdainful in many ways. While she makes a good leader, she's also no longer in a leadership role, and can be especially bossy. Her passionate side runs deep, and she believes strongly and fights for her beliefs.

That said, she's a hard worker. She doesn't want to retire, and has worked hard, even as semi-retired. She will have a difficult time transitioning to the fully retired age in two turns, and fights all suggestions that maybe she's not in her prime anymore. She has duties, and she believes strongly in them. She has to do her part and contribute to the Weyr, and won't ever see herself as more of a liability than not. She pushes herself and her dragon hard, but hopefully, it won't come back to bite her; she's young enough that she can handle it, at the moment, despite being an elderly, ancient queenrider. Determined, she doesn't give up.

Practical and concrete in her thought process, Talayla is quick to figure out how things should be. If something doesn't work, she may stick by it if it's how things have always been, but she prefers to be practical in her daily life. That said, she enjoys a life of luxury, and can be a bit indulgent. She is detail-oriented, and often good at taking care of the little things. She makes for a good behind-the-scenes planner, despite her preference to be in the limelight, and have overt control.

Talayla is harsh. She believes in a way things should be, and will not sugarcoat her words. Life is harsh and cruel, after all--she's blunt, only telling it like it is. She can be exceptionally strict, holding others--and herself--to high standards.

Positive Trait List Practical, Determined, Passionate, Dutiful, Detail-oriented
Negative Trait List Rigid, Harsh, Stubborn, Feisty, Strict
History: Born and raised in High Reaches, she has seen many things over the turns. Her parents raised her well, as a traditional child who believed in the return of thread. She aspired to be a dragonrider from a young age, and nothing short of gold would do. How could it be otherwise, when brown was not meant for women, and blue and green were so lowly? Not that she'd even consider a white dragon, of course!

Despite her strict parental upbringing, she was still raised in the creche. Her time there was more flexible than the life her parents gave her, without as strict consequences or as traditional views. Even the creche did not afford much in terms of different viewpoints, and Talayla grew to be the staunchest supporter of High Reaches' viewpoints. That said, she still had her wild child period. In her teens, she ran away with a trader caravan, determined to see the world. She left a note, but stole out at night with a friend. At 18, they stopped by a weyrhold, and Talayla was fascinated to see a hatching outside the Weyr. She'd return to High Reaches within a turn, determined to Impress before she aged out, but this plan ended up being wrong; at that very hatching, a gold dragonet turned her head towards the spectators.

It was a quiet, informal hatching, at a minor weyrhold, and not especially traditional, but it was at that hatching that Talayla found hers. Talayla. You are mine, and together we will lead Pern to success. With her claim made, Ageiroth's eyes whirled with rainbows, and the small woman rushed towards her bond. She knew she'd Impress gold, but she never imagined now.

She had many romantic flings leading up to this hatching, breaking hearts and warming beds, only to leave soon after, without attachment; after Impressing, this ended, and never quite resumed. After weyrlinghood, before her dragon's maiden flight, she left for High Reaches, ready to return to do her duty. Her home welcomed her with open arms--she was a goldrider, after all!--but she never got her dream of Senior Weyrwoman.

Over the turns, Ageiroth rose many times, but lacked enough mother instinct to follow up on them after weyrlinghood. She, too, could not keep track of all her children. Eventually, she stopped clutching, and they lost their status of Junior Weyrwomen. Still, they fought thread when it rose, and thus far, have received only minor injuries. She's very "told you so" about it.

When Ageiroth rose, Talayla became pregnant a few times, and has a few children as a result.

Other:
-Has children, grandchildren, etc. Probably not especially close to any but the children, but still tries to be in their lives. Can't keep track of them all. All her children were born of flightlust.

DRAGON
Name: Ageiroth
Age: 80 turns as of 3575.08.16 [Hatchday:]
Color: Gold
Size: 42'
Physical Description: Ageiroth is a small queen, just like her rider. Not only is her length below average, but she is short and low to the ground, though her wingspan is rather large for her size. Her features are delicate and lovely, with curved headknobs and gentle, soft ridges. Slender and wiry, Ageiroth has not put on much weight over the turns. If anything, she has only become smaller, and looks a bit scrawny, as though she is not quite eating enough. Her hide is duller than it once was, but nonetheless maintains the metallic sheen of a gold.
Personality: Fiercely protective, Ageiroth has all the attitude of her rider, though it is more outwardly focused, rather than inward. She will defend others, even with her life if need be. While noble in many ways, she often believes others to simply be incapable and incompetent. They need her to take charge and control them, because they are all stupid and slow. Condescending, even to her loved ones, Ageiroth believes other people to be useless without her guidance, and has difficulty giving up control of a situation. That said, her rider is seen as exceptionally capable--that's why she chose her, after all!

Like her rider, Ageiroth will succeed. If she has to claw her way to the top, she will. Anything to keep her weyr safe. She is controlling, and has difficulty stepping back and letting others lead. She has difficulty, as a result, with her own role.

Quick to snap at others, Ageiroth is a prickly, difficult gold. She is grouchy and hard to work with, and tends to mutter insults softly, as if under her breath--but definitely meant to be audible. She doesn't hesitate to tell another they are doing something wrong, and is known for phrases like, Here--just let me do it! Insulting, she calls others names, but is not as rude as she seems. She does have a caring heart, deep down.

Dragon Art or Proof of Obtainment: Old Biddy Thread - I dunno if she's gonna need tweaks, but...I wanted to put her up before I forget.  

[Uta]

She cracks me up.

Approved!