[Weyrling] K'niel of blue Wahokinth [Approved]

[Wylde Roses]

Name: K’niel (Formerly Kaniel)
Age: 19
Nameday: 3556.11.25
Sex: Male
Sexual Orientation: Bisexual
Weyr: High Reaches Weyr
Rider Rank: Weyrling
Previous Rank/Craft: Apprentice Beastcrafter (Tracker)
Physical Description: The first and most noticeable thing about K'niel is that he is very tall, and very lean. While he got his height from his mother, a tall and stocky giant of a woman, he doesn’t have the build required to turn a man into a mountain, and instead greater resembles a young tree: tall and straight-backed, but with not much girth to show for it. Capped off with dark auburn hair that rests on the wavier side of curly whenever it reaches past his ears (which it nearly always does until the tickling drives him mad enough to trim it back short again), olive skin, and dark brown eyes, he presents a picture striking if not extraordinarily handsome, though the slightly crooked nose he sports from a childhood accident gives him a somewhat rakish look.
Personality: As one of six children, and the younger of a pair of twins at that, K'niel has learned how to get and keep attention when he longs for it: with wit and sarcasm, humor and a certain level of playfulness. Life is only as fun as you make it, after all, and when you have a family as large as his, there’s always a need for a sense of humor.. In K'niel’s mind, there isn’t a situation out there that can’t be improved by a good laugh, and as he’s most comfortable when the mood is light and full of laughter, he’s quick to comment and to tease, to make jokes and offer witty remarks, though he doesn’t always think before he says something. If he sees the opportunity to make a good joke, it’s often difficult for him to hold his tongue regardless of the seriousness of the situation or how unwelcome such remarks might be.

Always looking toward the next new experience, K'niel isn’t afraid of much --- or rather, he finds a certain thrill in that fear, an excitement amid the danger, and chooses to face it accordingly. As a child this led to trying to climb things or find hiding places during games that may have been more dangerous than convenient, or getting into mischief that may or may not have gotten all five of his siblings involved too. Nowadays it’s tempered slightly, but he still dreams of the more exciting things in life, at the top of the list which is, quite obviously, of flying a dragon; for what could be more exciting than soaring through the sky and going Between places on dragonback? The idea that something could go wrong simply never seems to occur to him, so confident is he in both his own ability and the whims of fate.

That isn’t to say, however, that K'niel is prone to rushing into things. On the contrary; he’s quite good at waiting and watching for the opportune moment, and tends to take in the situation around him in more detail than you might think for someone who spends most of his time with a quip at the ready. He has to pick up on and keep track of a lot of information at once, and does so almost on instinct. K'niel can and will wait for the right moment to say something or to take action, but generally notices it quickly enough that it can seem reckless. (And in a way, it is --- it’s just not recklessness from acting too quickly, but rather a recklessness born of an overconfident certainty that everything will work out the way he intends it to.)

All of this, however, is a result of what is probably K'niel’s greatest flaw of all: he avoids things that make him uncomfortable. Interpersonal conflict, overly-emotional situations, trauma-inducing disasters… he doesn’t know how to deal with them, and so he falls back on his tried and true weapon of wit and humor to avoid that discomfort for as long as possible. When a situation becomes truly too serious or dire for humor, K'niel is all-too-often left at a loss.
Positive Trait List: Playful, adventurous, brave, observant.
Negative Trait List: Impertinent, insincere, cocky, avoidant
History: Born the fifth child of Journeyman Beastcrafter Kanismera and Master Healer Izielle of High Reaches Hold, K'niel lived a childhood that was perhaps a bit more crowded than other Holdbrats, but very nearly idyllic. A loving and supportive family, a twin sister he adored --- and how could he not, when she was both his partner in crime and his common sense, helping rein in his wilder ideas and gleefully participating in milder mischief? It was a good childhood and a simple one, where the most exciting thing that happened was their oldest brother being Searched to High Reaches, where he ended up Impressed to a bronze.

This event, small as it may have been in the greater scheme of Pern, upended K'niel’s world in the best possible way. Like many children, he had idle fancies of growing up to be a Rider, though his fantasies were simply of aerobatic tricks and freefalls --- with Thread gone, there was no need to think of the other, long-since ended duty. But idle those fantasies had been, until his brother Impressed. Suddenly, it was an idle dream no longer but rather a deep-held desire. And luckily for him --- along with all of his other siblings, who had also found themselves confronted with the very real possibility of Impression, because after all if their brother could do so, then why couldn’t they --- he did end up Searched, and forgetting all his once seemingly-more-plausible dreams of becoming the best Tracker in Pern, went to High Reaches to begin his candidacy.

He had some difficulty adjusting to candidacy; he wasn’t unused to difficult work, but the duller aspects of chores didn’t sit well with him. He did them, of course, because one must pay their dues and this was a chance he refused to endanger, but sometimes he did wonder if he wouldn’t have been happier, in fact, if he hadn’t wanted this. This all changed when Threadfall began again. K'niel was no fool, after all; with thread falling, riders were not only a dream, they were necessary, and though he had never dreamed of fighting thread (why should he have?), he redoubled his efforts and his focus, aware that a lack of knowledge or judgment would prove to be far more dangerous now than it had been before, should he manage to Impress.

…If he would ever manage to Impress. Four years standing wasn’t the end of things, not yet, but more than half a dozen clutches without a sign of hope could begin to wear down even the most optimistic soul. Still, he’d keep standing as long as he was able; to quit now would be to admit defeat, to say he’d made a mistake, and should his Siblings all Impress and leave him the only one without a dragon, he would never live it down.
Other: K'niel has a fire lizard given to him by his father at the same time his twin sister received one. His is a brown* named Lookout, rather appropriately due to the fire lizards’ training to watch for trouble and sound an alarm if there was any danger of a childhood prank being found out.
* - I need to have Lookout certed but I do in fact already have him.

DRAGON

Name: Wahokinth
Origin of Name: Wahokinth’s name comes from Wahoo King, the first registered gelding in the APHA. Already a famous roping horse, he was instrumental in building interest in the breed and helping the registry gain members during the initial years of its growth. Though he was a gelding, rather than a stallion and as such could not continue his bloodline, his importance to the American Paint Horse Association and thus his breed cannot be understated.
Color: Blue
Inspiration: Descended from horses introduced by the Spanish conquistadors, Paints became part of the herds of wild horses that roamed the Western deserts and plains. Once domesticated, because of their working ability and heart, the Paint was cherished by cowboys for cattle work. Native Americans revered the Paint, which they believed to possess magical powers.

While over the years the conformation and athletic ability of those rugged mounts of the Old West have been improved by breeders, the unusual coat patterns and coloring remain the same. The stock-type conformation, intelligence, and willing attitude make the American Paint Horse an excellent horse for pleasure riding, ranch work, rodeo, trail riding, racing, showing, or simply as a friendly mount for the kids.

Built for versatility, the American Paint Horse is generally short-coupled, strong-boned and well balanced. Yet Paints display a remarkable degree of refinement and beauty, especially about the head and neck.

The Paint Horse's colorful coat pattern defines the breed, because it is perhaps the most obvious trait. However, Paint Horses must also possess a distinct stock-type conformation. Paints come in an endless variety of patterns. Their coat is always a combination of white with any of the basic colors common to horses: black, bay, brown, chestnut, dun, grulla, sorrel, palomino, gray and roan. Regardless of color, no two horses are exactly alike in coat pattern.

Personality: A dragon of quick-thinking, Wahokinth is among the first to catch [on to a new technique or a new trick, and is able to put a plan into practice on the fly that, while not always thought through generally has a good chance of success--- if, of course, he could ever get more than halfway through it without getting his attention caught by something else. Wahokinth is clever, it’s true, but his cleverness comes as a double-edged sword; he gets bored easily and his mind wanders, or his attention will be caught by something much more interesting than whatever is in front of his nose, and all his being will be focused on the new idea, the old forgotten as though it had never been. If he can be kept properly engaged, however, his ability to quickly pick things up begins to show through, and he can learn new things at a tremendous rate.

Regardless of whether or not he’s just let himself get distracted away from something he needed to focus on, the odds are good that Wahokinth is having a good day. He isn’t bothered by much, and maintains a persistent, steady optimism that no matter what goes wrong, things will work out for the best just as long as you work hard enough. Certainly, he’ll be disappointed when things don’t go his way, but there’s always something to be learned in every experience, and it can’t all be terrible for long; things will get better. He’ll become a better flyer, a better fighter, and he’ll do it because of everything he’s learning now.

Unfortunately, he can never resist a chance to show off what he’s learned, though usually this takes the form of competing with his twin specifically, as she’s the one Clutchmate he regards as a true rival. If he cannot best her, then there will be no meaning in besting everyone else, and so he can often be found seeking her out and trying to engage her in some manner of competition, a habit that is up to his rider to rein in to more manageable levels. This is especially necessary in Wahokinth’s case because he does not tend to think before he suggests something or accepts a challenge.

Positive Traits: Clever, optimistic, playful
Negative Traits: Competitive, impulsive, distractible
Size: 26’
Physical Attributes: Somewhat shorter in length and stockier than your average blue, Wahokinth makes up for it with larger-than-average wings and particularly powerful shoulders, accompanied by noticeably long tail.. He also sports a rather delicate head and neck, the latter more graceful than might be expected with such a stocky body.
Additional Notes: While he’s only of average speed, Wahokinth boasts a bit more maneuverability than most blues, along with above-average stamina. All-in-all, he’ll perform well during flights, but it will be up to his rider to keep him focused and on track.

When it comes to flights, he’s competitive against other challengers, but doesn’t appear to have any preference in who he chases, as he’s far more interested in outdoing everyone he can than in his quarry. To that end, he’s not the sort who will be victorious often, but neither is he overly bothered by failure. So long as he’s met his own standards, Wahokinth is satisfied.

He shares a particularly close relationship with his twin sister Uvaldoth, though their definition of close manifests as a rivalry wherein they are constantly challenging one another and trying to outdo the other, helping each reach new heights (and have a lot of fun) while doing so.

In contrast to Uvaldoth, Wahokinth insists it was him that pushed through their eggshell first.
Why Me: Wahokinth, above everything else, wanted a partner in crime. He’s found it in Kaniel, who is playful and adventurous enough to match him, who goes through life with a certain level of nonchalance that makes things roll off of him, whose cockiness and confidence means he won’t back down or try to hold Wahokinth back from what he can do--- but he was also drawn to His because of the way he sees the world, takes note of everything around him, and finds that he feels safe with someone as alert as Kaniel.

Kaniel seeks adventure, seeks something more than a quiet, mundane life, and Wahokinth can give him that excitement. With a dragon as competitive and impulsive as Wahokinth, there will never be a dull moment, and provided Kaniel can keep up with him, his life is slated to be eternally interesting.

(That his twin Impressed to His’ sister is a mere coincidence, but Wahokinth believes it to be the only option there ever was--- and maybe that’s true.)