Post by Rouxy on Jun 9, 2010 8:10:00 GMT -5
Character:
Name: Zanalorin 'Zan'
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Flaming Homosexual
Occupation: Candidate
Description: Zan is the epitome of a manly looking man. Standing at a good 6' 1", his figure is well formed and fully defined from hours of swimming, giving him a sporting, well muscled look, a narrow waist and a deep tan. A square jaw bottoms his face, coming in to a more narrow chin, angling his features at a slight cant and bringing his pronounced cheekbones and aquiline nose into balance with the rest of his face. Bright cerulean blue eyes look at the world with a self-assured sense of sarcasm in the face of too much seriousness. His hair is just long enough to pull most of it back into a runnertail, is usually wet, and despite being so shines a brilliant sun-bleached blond at all times. His left ear is pierced once, testament to only one of the many times Lanz talked him into something ridiculous. The small earring he kept, claiming it was to teach himself a lesson. Hanging about an inch in total length from hook to bottom, the main of the earring is a circle of silver with silver webbing running through the center. There's a small, smooth blue-green gem on the very short chain connecting the hoop to the hook in his ear.
He is most often found in close-fitting clothing of any range of hues, from light to dark to colorful to dull, with the only constant being that whatever color his ensemble happens to be, his entire outfit matches, from shoulders to boots and whatever accoutrements lie between. The only difference to this is the dark brown leather of the hip knife always on his person, and a careful hand that speaks worlds of his knowledge about how to use it. The insignia of the Dolphineers is stamped into the leather with a heavy hand, and covered with its signature blue-green color, outlining and highlighting the shipfish imagery. The belt it’s attached to is also of the same dark leather with blue-green stitching and the same insignia for the buckle in a dull silver metal. A promise to him from his father that should he give up this foolishness of being a candidate, he was welcome to come back home to a skill he was actually good at.
Personality: If he appears to be masculine enough in build, Zan matches it to some degree with his actions and mannerisms. He likes doing physical things, swimming, riding, running. His good health is important to him, as the well-being of his body was drilled into him early by his father, a man who saw nothing but the son all too able to follow in his footsteps as a renowned dolphineer. The training of his early years has instilled an ability towards extreme focus, and despite not really being the brightest person, he can bring his limited knowledge all to a focused edge, and remove himself from a given situation to gain a clear view and make a reasonable, detached opinion or decision. If he thinks something important enough to know or do, he tackles it with single-minded intensity, often doing quite foolhardy things just to gain a clear understanding or some other objective of personal worth.
Zan is a bit serious, but only if he feels the situation warrants it, which is rare if truth be told. Few things are important to him other than the things he wants and needs, as he's very selfish. Otherwise, he's a knucklehead, acting up to attract attention or just to have a laugh. His overall view of the world is one of heavy sarcasm, and every situation short of life and death (and sometimes even then) is even game for him. He is most inventive in this vein, and his somewhat limited wit is put to the task of thinking up the snappy, sarcastic remarks he is too often full of. If he fails to come up with something satisfactory to his way of thinking, he might say something stupid on the spot, realize this, and fume on it for a few minutes before something better comes to mind, to which he comments as if he never even said the previous remark. If he loses the person or people he's talking to on the way, well, then, they obviously couldn't see the awesome majesty of his wit.
Zan likes the boys. Plain and simple. Another of his failings, as far as his father is concerned, but it is a passable failing when placed against his success in dolphineering. He, however, is not ashamed of it in the least. Oh no, he's very, very open and far too forward for his own good. Remember that skill for focusing entirely on something he wants? He's not above stalking boys he's interested in and trying to woo them, often against their will. What's that, a nice tight arse? Well, it just begs to be grabbed, of course, and Zan's just the man to do it and do it right! A constant flirt, and even though he'd never even consider going further with a female, they can be a temporary entertainment, and Zan isn't above stringing some hapless girl along only to reveal that she 'turned him gay, thanks.'
He isn't without his romantic side, and those he favors will often find flowers, gifts, and other such niceties left in obvious places for their enjoyment. The one downside to anyone who decides to return his feelings, is that he quickly loses interest and grows bored, which never has anything to do with the boy in question, but has all to do with Zan's lack of commitment and short attention span. It is possible that he'd find someone to linger longer with, and if they are able enough, said person would earn the loyalty of a determined lover in return. Zan is more likely to sleep around though, and the thought of losing his frequent lays is too horrible to bear.
He doesn't find it difficult to make friends, with his open personality, but they have to be capable of taking his sarcastic remarks without insult or injury, as he doesn't really mean them to harm. Once past that barrier, Zan's a good friend, sometimes fair weather, and sometimes the most steadfast companion one could wish for. His inclination changes from person to person, and incident to incident. His one constant friend, and probably the one person he will ever continually stick up for verbally, and physically, is his 'older' brother, Lanz. Obviously someone so thin can't possibly stand up for themselves, and Zan will sometimes jump into a conversation with the wrong impression and make to 'protect' his brother. To this end, he's as vulnerable as everyone else to the boy's sweet talk, and Lanz has dragged him into more than one situation, including his current occupation of the Candidate position. Thanks Lanz.
History: Zanalorin was born in Southern hold to Alorin and Zanova, a married pair of dolphineers who had fallen quite in with each other while in basic training. Alorin was a Senior Journeyman Dolphineer, most notable for his flirtatious tendencies. Though he was happily married to Zanova, a journeyman dolphineer specializing in the injuries and illnesses of their water-borne brethren in her own right, he had many female admirers throughout Southern Hold. It was unsurprising as to why: Handsome, charismatic and friendly, it was hard not to like the man. His most endearing trait was his generosity; almost everyone at Southern Hold at least knew his name, and he was renowned at Dolphincraft Hall as one of the most gifted dolphineers since the Hall reopening.
Perhaps because of his reputation (which preceded him all the way to Southern Weyr, let alone just in the Hold) it would come as little surprise to many to find out that one day, after a little bit too much of the sweet red wine produced by the Hold, he’d fallen into the arms of a woman who was decidedly not his wife. She was, in fact, his wife’s half sister Zalla, an apprentice dolphineer, and a mere sixteen when the affair took place.
Zanova didn't quite know how to handle the situation. On one hand, she knew her younger sister. Zalla wasn't the type to just... well, the girl was fairly innocent in her views of the world. On the other hand.. there had to have been some attraction, because despite her husband's excesses, Zalla had given in willingly enough. She had probably been drunk as well, but Zanova shut out much of the commonsense details after hearing about the incident. It took her two months to forgive Alorin, and she finally gave into his gentle advances with a lust for the man that had been carried insatiated for too many sevendays. That single coupling proved far too potent, as the couple was soon blessed with the knowledge that they were expecting.
With Zanalorin’s birth, things changed around the household. Alorin obviously wanted the child to follow him into his craft, and Zanalorin became a waterbaby almost as soon as he was out of the womb. Luckily for him, he took to the water well, and was soon enough canine paddling with the best, under the watchful eyes of both parents. It was almost as if his birth helped to draw his mother and father closer, back to the couple they used to be before the ‘incident.’ Zanova didn’t really speak again with her sister until some five years after the boys’ birth, when a chance encounter brought them all face to face, and the half-brothers took to each other as if they’d been together the whole time. Zanalorin was a rather shy child, and the friendly forwardness of his ‘older’ brother helped to bring him out of his shell. More at home in the water than with people, the next several years of his life changed him dramatically. In part due to his father and training and in part to Lanzalin’s constant influence. He dove into his training, in a manner of speaking, and at 10 became an official apprentice dolphineer.
Zanalorin enjoyed the life of a dolphineer for the next several years. His brother was constantly visiting, and Zanalorin on each occasion invited his brother to join them in the water, only to be refused. Finally he gave up on getting Lanzalin to swim with him, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed his brother’s presence any less. The one thing he could count on in the craft was that there were few hardships that dealt with the heart, and he focused on mastering the inherent physical hardships of being a dolphineer. A facet of the selfishness that would begin to define him started to show, as he only had the time of day for what he wanted to do and have, his father, mother, and Lanzalin. If it didn’t pertain to him or his, then he cared not one wit about it, even up to the politics of the Hold and Weyrs. If anything, the apprentice dolphineer began to develop a slight contempt for people of power, and his way of coping with it was to, well, break the rules. He became a boy who delighted in foisting others whenever possible. Luckily for him, most of his attempts ended in harmless joking and non-serious rule-breaking that only landed him brief punishments. Perhaps the one thing that became serious for him during this period was his choice of sexual partner. He never stayed with one girl for long, introduced to the ‘game’ earlier than most due to his father’s encouragement. Unfortunately for his father, the boy didn’t quite end up the way he had anticipated. See, Zanalorin didn’t really care for girls or their picky ways. Sure, he could see them as being pretty and appreciate it, but he felt the same way about boys, often watching the good looking ones in a state of high interest. This ambivalence made him decide to try a night with a male. Sheer bliss, and quite a bit more excitement was his reward. He was delighted with his find, and added it to his deliberate list of things to do to outrage his father, and anyone else who happened to be interested. As such, he was never close-mouthed about it, and the forwardness that had been cultivated by his brother led him to being a flirtatious and presumptuous individual where his love life was concerned.
His father, aware that the boy was beginning to wander in his focus, started training him harder, and for a while after, Zanalorin went from sunup to sundown in constant motion, a difficult time for the boy that often saw him disgruntled and unhappy as he began to lose the drive for his craft. In a last ditch effort to gain the proper dolphineer son he wanted so desperately, Alorin introduced him early to the pod of dolphins who most closely worked with both his mother and father, and that seemed to do the trick above and beyond what his ceaseless training did. A young female named Alta almost immediately singled him out as someone interesting, and Zanalorin began spending time with her in the special training saved for those who have joined with a partner dolphin.
Alta became Zanalorin’s world, and for a time, his thoughts were of her and her welfare, giving him the novel experience of really caring for someone else above the obligatory family duties. She was a sleek, lovely creature, a bit on the small side for her brethren, but fast as lightning through the water, and more agile than her peers by half. Her skin had few marring scars, showing both her youth and her cleverness. At the age of 16, they were officially joined as a pair sanctioned by both the human and dolphin halves of the partnership, as was traditional. It was a glorious time, and to those closest to Zanalorin, it was obvious that he was really and truly happy with the path life had given him.
Notably, he took part in the celebration for the largest Gaather Southern had seen in a while with Alta, putting on the best show for everyone. As if to satisfy that part of him that still craved mischief, a green dragon rose while the gather was in full swing, causing no end of chaos for the celebrants. He found it particularly hilarious, and all in all, put the dragons in a good standing with him. After the gather, it seemed like everything was right with the world for a few more weeks, until Zanalorin had the most difficult shock of his life. Alta was pulled to shore by two of her podmates, a deep bleeding wound all along her side. Zanalorin was called to the dock in a rush, frantic with the news. The pod maneuvered Alta into the healing nets, but there wasn’t much even the dolphineers would be able to do for the critically injured dolphin. Her breathing was labored, and her blood seeped into the river water at an alarming rate. She explained that she’d been patrolling the inlet water just before it went salty, and something blindsided her. She didn’t even see what it was, but her echo-location caught it just before it got out of range… something large.
Zanalorin stayed with her until night fell, stroking her smooth head and beak in comfort until she slipped quietly away to a place of peace. Later that night her pod took her small body back to the sea with them, giving her to the waters, as they said. He wished he could follow, but it was strictly a dolphin rite that humans had no place in. He almost got sick waiting in the water for dawn, but there was no power that could get him to move any sooner. For days after, he fell into a deep well of depression, missing his partner like he’d never missed anything before. He no longer cared about being a dolphineer, and it seemed like nothing would be able to rekindle that spark in him. It wasn’t for lack of trying though. Much like he had when they were younger, Lanzalin attached himself to Zan with the serious design of cheering him up, or helping in any way.
Despite his outward denial for the need, he appreciated the support his ‘older’ brother provided. It wasn’t enough though. Everything reminded him of Alta, and short of going to live somewhere other than Southern Hold, Zanalorin couldn’t see any way to remedy his pain. It wasn’t until Lanzalin suggested that they actually leave Southern for Cerulean Weyr that he came up for a breath of air, so to speak. The Weyr was in serious need of more candidates, and people to help rebuild. What better way to make him forget than to thrust him right in the center of all that work?
At first he refused. What would there be for him at the Weyr? He was a teenage journeyman dolphineer who’d lost his partner to the unforgiving waters. Besides that, he had no viable trade that would be helpful, even if that were his goal. On the other hand, what was there left for him at Southern? A disappointed family, a Hold that pitied him, and eighteen years of effort put into a lifestyle worth nothing now. Cerulean was starting to sound better every minute. It was his father’s reaction to the possibility of him leaving that finally drove him into going with Lanzalin, though, as his brother had so astutely pointed out, his sexual preferences would be much better tolerated at the Weyr with their riders and Rises and such. His father outright denied him the right to go, refusing to listen to the possibilities his son would have at the Weyr. After a long, loud argument which ended with Zan packing his things right then and there, his father finally calmed enough to see the reality of the situation. He begged his son to stay, but it was too late. Zanalorin’s stubborn pride wouldn’t allow him to remain in his family’s home, and truth be told, he was relieved to be going. It was like the decision had been taken out of his hands. In retrospect, he would have thought his father more able to understand how his son worked after so long, but Alorin still considered himself the endall, and undisputed leader of the decision-making process. He would likely never accept any decision Zan made that wasn’t expressly encouraged by him.
In the end, Alorin wasn’t there when Zanalorin and Lanzalin left with a trade caravan heading towards Silver Cove Hold. Zanova was the only one to see him off, passing on a gift and message from his father. The gift was an elaborate hip dagger much like the one he had, only much finer, and a few inches longer in the blade. The sheath was imprinted with the dolphineer insignia lined with their signature blue-green, and the wide leather belt was clasped with a steel buckle of the same insignia. His mother passed on the message verbally; that he would still be welcome back after this folly was over. Her soft smile and encouraging hug spoke volumes about her own feelings, but she didn’t openly deny the message’s intent. Instead, she watched until they were out of sight, a comforting arm around her sister’s shoulders until Zalla’s husband gathered her and Zanova was left alone.
Their arrival at the Hold was inauspicious, just two among many who were there to help. They caught a ride to the Weyr shortly after, coming in on the boats that ferried in supplies. They took their turn at the various chores, while his brother seemed to finagle himself into every rider conversation to try and assure them a place to stand on the sands. He really –did- want to be a candidate it seemed. Zanalorin wasn’t too certain about it all, but he really felt like he’d lost the urge to care enough. He took to working on the docks the most, subconsciously drawn to the ocean like a moth to flame. He watched the dolphin pod who played there, unaware of the look of loss on his face. Lanz practically shoved him at the fishing boats while they waited and worked, and Zanalorin took to the sea again with a net in hand. It was soothing to him, and some of the torment finally left his features. As if fate were trying to erase the hurts of the past, Lanz finally got them onto the list of those who’d stand on the Weyr’s sands. Despite the backwards way they went about it, both of them would be allowed to proceed. They were moved to the candidate quarters, and provided with the typical accessories, but Zanalorin never quite stopped working on the docks. It’s still his favorite place to be, only topped by actually being out on a boat and feeling the waves under his feet.
Fun Facts:
-He loves the ocean above everything else. Time off? Guess what, he's swimming or looking for shells or any number of other things.
-Dragons, Whers, flitters, he likes all of the draconic cousins. He'd have stolen an egg by now if they weren't so closely guarded.
Rider Candidates:
Dragon Color Preference: Greeeeeeeeeen
Rider's shortened name: Z’lor
General info:
RP Search: Newp, he’s already there
Bonded Critter(s):
Type: Firelizard
Name: Angel
Color: Green
Age: 4 Months -Mid-winter
Description: About average in size, this green is a cute little thing. Her eyes are over-large and give her an air of adorable innocence. The base of her color is a bright, leafy-green, but she is covered in speckles of dark green all over. Her back also carries some tiny, oddly blue and yellow speckles, while some very dark red speckles dot her claws and cheekbones (making her snout look freckled).
She’s a very agile little flirt, and will flit about the Weyr in impossible moves. She’ll cuddle up to anyone (and anything) that won’t push her away, and her flexible limbs, tail, and wings only aide her in being able to wrap herself up with them.
Personality: This fire-lizard's attention span wouldn't last as long as this sentence. Not even food can keep her attention for longer than a few bites. There are simply too many interesting things to explore! If it’s shiny or dull or pointy or smooth or moving or completely stationary – it’s fa-scin-a-ting for exactly that reason. The only thing that can capture her attention for any length of time is her bonded, and that is simply because Hers is of course the most fascinating thing in the world! She will constantly inspect pockets and hair and climb into any clothing she can fit into, simply toying with any baubles she finds. Her favorite things are anything small enough she can turn over with her claws or large enough she can crawl over and explore. She doesn’t ever actually take anything, and if she was given something it’s a wonder if she didn’t just leave it somewhere at random.
She is, surprisingly, not unintelligent. She remembers faces very well, and places and things moderately well also. She’ll know that she already explored all of that person’s pockets earlier today (and will even remember what was in them), but when she sees them again she’ll do it all over – just to inspect and see if anything interesting changed. Her inimitable curiosity will often get her into places she shouldn’t be, and her tiny claws might accidentally unlock things as she fidgets with them in fascination. Despite her memory, her flighty attention span makes her a bit daft, and the best way to get her to leave you alone is the oldest trick in the book: Hey, look, what’s that?!
It is extremely unusual for this fire-lizard to be unhappy in any way. If the glass is half-empty, it means the other half is in someone’s belly and that should make you happy anyway! In her mind, with so many wonderful things to see and do there isn’t any reason to ever be unhappy. If her bonded is ever upset, she might have a little bit of a damper put on her, but it usually won’t take long until she tries to find ways to make Hers happy again. Aerial tricks, food, small rocks, feathers, and especially cuddles(!) are generally her weapons of choice in the fight against that distasteful not-happy feeling.
This is a fire-lizard that loves everyone and everything, but especially her bonded. If unchecked, she will love and snuggle and cuddle Hers to death. Never will Hers have an empty bed at night, and during the day – even if she’s off exploring – she’s only a thought away from a divebomb-cuddle. During Flights, she’s as teasing as any green, and afterward she will love to just wrap herself all up in her mate. Or around her bonded, if her mate isn’t one to stick around – she doesn’t mind much either way.
Fun Facts:
Craftskills:
Craft: Dolphineer
Level of Proficiency: Journeyman
Specialty: He’s a strong swimmer, and well versed in the small knife he has on him, especially for removing water-bourn parasites that could cling to a dolphin or person’s skin.
Weakness: He’s too overconfident, sometimes resulting in him taking risks. In the sea, this is a thing that could get him killed.
Name: Zanalorin 'Zan'
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Flaming Homosexual
Occupation: Candidate
Description: Zan is the epitome of a manly looking man. Standing at a good 6' 1", his figure is well formed and fully defined from hours of swimming, giving him a sporting, well muscled look, a narrow waist and a deep tan. A square jaw bottoms his face, coming in to a more narrow chin, angling his features at a slight cant and bringing his pronounced cheekbones and aquiline nose into balance with the rest of his face. Bright cerulean blue eyes look at the world with a self-assured sense of sarcasm in the face of too much seriousness. His hair is just long enough to pull most of it back into a runnertail, is usually wet, and despite being so shines a brilliant sun-bleached blond at all times. His left ear is pierced once, testament to only one of the many times Lanz talked him into something ridiculous. The small earring he kept, claiming it was to teach himself a lesson. Hanging about an inch in total length from hook to bottom, the main of the earring is a circle of silver with silver webbing running through the center. There's a small, smooth blue-green gem on the very short chain connecting the hoop to the hook in his ear.
He is most often found in close-fitting clothing of any range of hues, from light to dark to colorful to dull, with the only constant being that whatever color his ensemble happens to be, his entire outfit matches, from shoulders to boots and whatever accoutrements lie between. The only difference to this is the dark brown leather of the hip knife always on his person, and a careful hand that speaks worlds of his knowledge about how to use it. The insignia of the Dolphineers is stamped into the leather with a heavy hand, and covered with its signature blue-green color, outlining and highlighting the shipfish imagery. The belt it’s attached to is also of the same dark leather with blue-green stitching and the same insignia for the buckle in a dull silver metal. A promise to him from his father that should he give up this foolishness of being a candidate, he was welcome to come back home to a skill he was actually good at.
Personality: If he appears to be masculine enough in build, Zan matches it to some degree with his actions and mannerisms. He likes doing physical things, swimming, riding, running. His good health is important to him, as the well-being of his body was drilled into him early by his father, a man who saw nothing but the son all too able to follow in his footsteps as a renowned dolphineer. The training of his early years has instilled an ability towards extreme focus, and despite not really being the brightest person, he can bring his limited knowledge all to a focused edge, and remove himself from a given situation to gain a clear view and make a reasonable, detached opinion or decision. If he thinks something important enough to know or do, he tackles it with single-minded intensity, often doing quite foolhardy things just to gain a clear understanding or some other objective of personal worth.
Zan is a bit serious, but only if he feels the situation warrants it, which is rare if truth be told. Few things are important to him other than the things he wants and needs, as he's very selfish. Otherwise, he's a knucklehead, acting up to attract attention or just to have a laugh. His overall view of the world is one of heavy sarcasm, and every situation short of life and death (and sometimes even then) is even game for him. He is most inventive in this vein, and his somewhat limited wit is put to the task of thinking up the snappy, sarcastic remarks he is too often full of. If he fails to come up with something satisfactory to his way of thinking, he might say something stupid on the spot, realize this, and fume on it for a few minutes before something better comes to mind, to which he comments as if he never even said the previous remark. If he loses the person or people he's talking to on the way, well, then, they obviously couldn't see the awesome majesty of his wit.
Zan likes the boys. Plain and simple. Another of his failings, as far as his father is concerned, but it is a passable failing when placed against his success in dolphineering. He, however, is not ashamed of it in the least. Oh no, he's very, very open and far too forward for his own good. Remember that skill for focusing entirely on something he wants? He's not above stalking boys he's interested in and trying to woo them, often against their will. What's that, a nice tight arse? Well, it just begs to be grabbed, of course, and Zan's just the man to do it and do it right! A constant flirt, and even though he'd never even consider going further with a female, they can be a temporary entertainment, and Zan isn't above stringing some hapless girl along only to reveal that she 'turned him gay, thanks.'
He isn't without his romantic side, and those he favors will often find flowers, gifts, and other such niceties left in obvious places for their enjoyment. The one downside to anyone who decides to return his feelings, is that he quickly loses interest and grows bored, which never has anything to do with the boy in question, but has all to do with Zan's lack of commitment and short attention span. It is possible that he'd find someone to linger longer with, and if they are able enough, said person would earn the loyalty of a determined lover in return. Zan is more likely to sleep around though, and the thought of losing his frequent lays is too horrible to bear.
He doesn't find it difficult to make friends, with his open personality, but they have to be capable of taking his sarcastic remarks without insult or injury, as he doesn't really mean them to harm. Once past that barrier, Zan's a good friend, sometimes fair weather, and sometimes the most steadfast companion one could wish for. His inclination changes from person to person, and incident to incident. His one constant friend, and probably the one person he will ever continually stick up for verbally, and physically, is his 'older' brother, Lanz. Obviously someone so thin can't possibly stand up for themselves, and Zan will sometimes jump into a conversation with the wrong impression and make to 'protect' his brother. To this end, he's as vulnerable as everyone else to the boy's sweet talk, and Lanz has dragged him into more than one situation, including his current occupation of the Candidate position. Thanks Lanz.
History: Zanalorin was born in Southern hold to Alorin and Zanova, a married pair of dolphineers who had fallen quite in with each other while in basic training. Alorin was a Senior Journeyman Dolphineer, most notable for his flirtatious tendencies. Though he was happily married to Zanova, a journeyman dolphineer specializing in the injuries and illnesses of their water-borne brethren in her own right, he had many female admirers throughout Southern Hold. It was unsurprising as to why: Handsome, charismatic and friendly, it was hard not to like the man. His most endearing trait was his generosity; almost everyone at Southern Hold at least knew his name, and he was renowned at Dolphincraft Hall as one of the most gifted dolphineers since the Hall reopening.
Perhaps because of his reputation (which preceded him all the way to Southern Weyr, let alone just in the Hold) it would come as little surprise to many to find out that one day, after a little bit too much of the sweet red wine produced by the Hold, he’d fallen into the arms of a woman who was decidedly not his wife. She was, in fact, his wife’s half sister Zalla, an apprentice dolphineer, and a mere sixteen when the affair took place.
Zanova didn't quite know how to handle the situation. On one hand, she knew her younger sister. Zalla wasn't the type to just... well, the girl was fairly innocent in her views of the world. On the other hand.. there had to have been some attraction, because despite her husband's excesses, Zalla had given in willingly enough. She had probably been drunk as well, but Zanova shut out much of the commonsense details after hearing about the incident. It took her two months to forgive Alorin, and she finally gave into his gentle advances with a lust for the man that had been carried insatiated for too many sevendays. That single coupling proved far too potent, as the couple was soon blessed with the knowledge that they were expecting.
With Zanalorin’s birth, things changed around the household. Alorin obviously wanted the child to follow him into his craft, and Zanalorin became a waterbaby almost as soon as he was out of the womb. Luckily for him, he took to the water well, and was soon enough canine paddling with the best, under the watchful eyes of both parents. It was almost as if his birth helped to draw his mother and father closer, back to the couple they used to be before the ‘incident.’ Zanova didn’t really speak again with her sister until some five years after the boys’ birth, when a chance encounter brought them all face to face, and the half-brothers took to each other as if they’d been together the whole time. Zanalorin was a rather shy child, and the friendly forwardness of his ‘older’ brother helped to bring him out of his shell. More at home in the water than with people, the next several years of his life changed him dramatically. In part due to his father and training and in part to Lanzalin’s constant influence. He dove into his training, in a manner of speaking, and at 10 became an official apprentice dolphineer.
Zanalorin enjoyed the life of a dolphineer for the next several years. His brother was constantly visiting, and Zanalorin on each occasion invited his brother to join them in the water, only to be refused. Finally he gave up on getting Lanzalin to swim with him, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed his brother’s presence any less. The one thing he could count on in the craft was that there were few hardships that dealt with the heart, and he focused on mastering the inherent physical hardships of being a dolphineer. A facet of the selfishness that would begin to define him started to show, as he only had the time of day for what he wanted to do and have, his father, mother, and Lanzalin. If it didn’t pertain to him or his, then he cared not one wit about it, even up to the politics of the Hold and Weyrs. If anything, the apprentice dolphineer began to develop a slight contempt for people of power, and his way of coping with it was to, well, break the rules. He became a boy who delighted in foisting others whenever possible. Luckily for him, most of his attempts ended in harmless joking and non-serious rule-breaking that only landed him brief punishments. Perhaps the one thing that became serious for him during this period was his choice of sexual partner. He never stayed with one girl for long, introduced to the ‘game’ earlier than most due to his father’s encouragement. Unfortunately for his father, the boy didn’t quite end up the way he had anticipated. See, Zanalorin didn’t really care for girls or their picky ways. Sure, he could see them as being pretty and appreciate it, but he felt the same way about boys, often watching the good looking ones in a state of high interest. This ambivalence made him decide to try a night with a male. Sheer bliss, and quite a bit more excitement was his reward. He was delighted with his find, and added it to his deliberate list of things to do to outrage his father, and anyone else who happened to be interested. As such, he was never close-mouthed about it, and the forwardness that had been cultivated by his brother led him to being a flirtatious and presumptuous individual where his love life was concerned.
His father, aware that the boy was beginning to wander in his focus, started training him harder, and for a while after, Zanalorin went from sunup to sundown in constant motion, a difficult time for the boy that often saw him disgruntled and unhappy as he began to lose the drive for his craft. In a last ditch effort to gain the proper dolphineer son he wanted so desperately, Alorin introduced him early to the pod of dolphins who most closely worked with both his mother and father, and that seemed to do the trick above and beyond what his ceaseless training did. A young female named Alta almost immediately singled him out as someone interesting, and Zanalorin began spending time with her in the special training saved for those who have joined with a partner dolphin.
Alta became Zanalorin’s world, and for a time, his thoughts were of her and her welfare, giving him the novel experience of really caring for someone else above the obligatory family duties. She was a sleek, lovely creature, a bit on the small side for her brethren, but fast as lightning through the water, and more agile than her peers by half. Her skin had few marring scars, showing both her youth and her cleverness. At the age of 16, they were officially joined as a pair sanctioned by both the human and dolphin halves of the partnership, as was traditional. It was a glorious time, and to those closest to Zanalorin, it was obvious that he was really and truly happy with the path life had given him.
Notably, he took part in the celebration for the largest Gaather Southern had seen in a while with Alta, putting on the best show for everyone. As if to satisfy that part of him that still craved mischief, a green dragon rose while the gather was in full swing, causing no end of chaos for the celebrants. He found it particularly hilarious, and all in all, put the dragons in a good standing with him. After the gather, it seemed like everything was right with the world for a few more weeks, until Zanalorin had the most difficult shock of his life. Alta was pulled to shore by two of her podmates, a deep bleeding wound all along her side. Zanalorin was called to the dock in a rush, frantic with the news. The pod maneuvered Alta into the healing nets, but there wasn’t much even the dolphineers would be able to do for the critically injured dolphin. Her breathing was labored, and her blood seeped into the river water at an alarming rate. She explained that she’d been patrolling the inlet water just before it went salty, and something blindsided her. She didn’t even see what it was, but her echo-location caught it just before it got out of range… something large.
Zanalorin stayed with her until night fell, stroking her smooth head and beak in comfort until she slipped quietly away to a place of peace. Later that night her pod took her small body back to the sea with them, giving her to the waters, as they said. He wished he could follow, but it was strictly a dolphin rite that humans had no place in. He almost got sick waiting in the water for dawn, but there was no power that could get him to move any sooner. For days after, he fell into a deep well of depression, missing his partner like he’d never missed anything before. He no longer cared about being a dolphineer, and it seemed like nothing would be able to rekindle that spark in him. It wasn’t for lack of trying though. Much like he had when they were younger, Lanzalin attached himself to Zan with the serious design of cheering him up, or helping in any way.
Despite his outward denial for the need, he appreciated the support his ‘older’ brother provided. It wasn’t enough though. Everything reminded him of Alta, and short of going to live somewhere other than Southern Hold, Zanalorin couldn’t see any way to remedy his pain. It wasn’t until Lanzalin suggested that they actually leave Southern for Cerulean Weyr that he came up for a breath of air, so to speak. The Weyr was in serious need of more candidates, and people to help rebuild. What better way to make him forget than to thrust him right in the center of all that work?
At first he refused. What would there be for him at the Weyr? He was a teenage journeyman dolphineer who’d lost his partner to the unforgiving waters. Besides that, he had no viable trade that would be helpful, even if that were his goal. On the other hand, what was there left for him at Southern? A disappointed family, a Hold that pitied him, and eighteen years of effort put into a lifestyle worth nothing now. Cerulean was starting to sound better every minute. It was his father’s reaction to the possibility of him leaving that finally drove him into going with Lanzalin, though, as his brother had so astutely pointed out, his sexual preferences would be much better tolerated at the Weyr with their riders and Rises and such. His father outright denied him the right to go, refusing to listen to the possibilities his son would have at the Weyr. After a long, loud argument which ended with Zan packing his things right then and there, his father finally calmed enough to see the reality of the situation. He begged his son to stay, but it was too late. Zanalorin’s stubborn pride wouldn’t allow him to remain in his family’s home, and truth be told, he was relieved to be going. It was like the decision had been taken out of his hands. In retrospect, he would have thought his father more able to understand how his son worked after so long, but Alorin still considered himself the endall, and undisputed leader of the decision-making process. He would likely never accept any decision Zan made that wasn’t expressly encouraged by him.
In the end, Alorin wasn’t there when Zanalorin and Lanzalin left with a trade caravan heading towards Silver Cove Hold. Zanova was the only one to see him off, passing on a gift and message from his father. The gift was an elaborate hip dagger much like the one he had, only much finer, and a few inches longer in the blade. The sheath was imprinted with the dolphineer insignia lined with their signature blue-green, and the wide leather belt was clasped with a steel buckle of the same insignia. His mother passed on the message verbally; that he would still be welcome back after this folly was over. Her soft smile and encouraging hug spoke volumes about her own feelings, but she didn’t openly deny the message’s intent. Instead, she watched until they were out of sight, a comforting arm around her sister’s shoulders until Zalla’s husband gathered her and Zanova was left alone.
Their arrival at the Hold was inauspicious, just two among many who were there to help. They caught a ride to the Weyr shortly after, coming in on the boats that ferried in supplies. They took their turn at the various chores, while his brother seemed to finagle himself into every rider conversation to try and assure them a place to stand on the sands. He really –did- want to be a candidate it seemed. Zanalorin wasn’t too certain about it all, but he really felt like he’d lost the urge to care enough. He took to working on the docks the most, subconsciously drawn to the ocean like a moth to flame. He watched the dolphin pod who played there, unaware of the look of loss on his face. Lanz practically shoved him at the fishing boats while they waited and worked, and Zanalorin took to the sea again with a net in hand. It was soothing to him, and some of the torment finally left his features. As if fate were trying to erase the hurts of the past, Lanz finally got them onto the list of those who’d stand on the Weyr’s sands. Despite the backwards way they went about it, both of them would be allowed to proceed. They were moved to the candidate quarters, and provided with the typical accessories, but Zanalorin never quite stopped working on the docks. It’s still his favorite place to be, only topped by actually being out on a boat and feeling the waves under his feet.
Fun Facts:
-He loves the ocean above everything else. Time off? Guess what, he's swimming or looking for shells or any number of other things.
-Dragons, Whers, flitters, he likes all of the draconic cousins. He'd have stolen an egg by now if they weren't so closely guarded.
Dragon Color Preference: Greeeeeeeeeen
Rider's shortened name: Z’lor
General info:
RP Search: Newp, he’s already there
Bonded Critter(s):
Type: Firelizard
Name: Angel
Color: Green
Age: 4 Months -Mid-winter
Description: About average in size, this green is a cute little thing. Her eyes are over-large and give her an air of adorable innocence. The base of her color is a bright, leafy-green, but she is covered in speckles of dark green all over. Her back also carries some tiny, oddly blue and yellow speckles, while some very dark red speckles dot her claws and cheekbones (making her snout look freckled).
She’s a very agile little flirt, and will flit about the Weyr in impossible moves. She’ll cuddle up to anyone (and anything) that won’t push her away, and her flexible limbs, tail, and wings only aide her in being able to wrap herself up with them.
Personality: This fire-lizard's attention span wouldn't last as long as this sentence. Not even food can keep her attention for longer than a few bites. There are simply too many interesting things to explore! If it’s shiny or dull or pointy or smooth or moving or completely stationary – it’s fa-scin-a-ting for exactly that reason. The only thing that can capture her attention for any length of time is her bonded, and that is simply because Hers is of course the most fascinating thing in the world! She will constantly inspect pockets and hair and climb into any clothing she can fit into, simply toying with any baubles she finds. Her favorite things are anything small enough she can turn over with her claws or large enough she can crawl over and explore. She doesn’t ever actually take anything, and if she was given something it’s a wonder if she didn’t just leave it somewhere at random.
She is, surprisingly, not unintelligent. She remembers faces very well, and places and things moderately well also. She’ll know that she already explored all of that person’s pockets earlier today (and will even remember what was in them), but when she sees them again she’ll do it all over – just to inspect and see if anything interesting changed. Her inimitable curiosity will often get her into places she shouldn’t be, and her tiny claws might accidentally unlock things as she fidgets with them in fascination. Despite her memory, her flighty attention span makes her a bit daft, and the best way to get her to leave you alone is the oldest trick in the book: Hey, look, what’s that?!
It is extremely unusual for this fire-lizard to be unhappy in any way. If the glass is half-empty, it means the other half is in someone’s belly and that should make you happy anyway! In her mind, with so many wonderful things to see and do there isn’t any reason to ever be unhappy. If her bonded is ever upset, she might have a little bit of a damper put on her, but it usually won’t take long until she tries to find ways to make Hers happy again. Aerial tricks, food, small rocks, feathers, and especially cuddles(!) are generally her weapons of choice in the fight against that distasteful not-happy feeling.
This is a fire-lizard that loves everyone and everything, but especially her bonded. If unchecked, she will love and snuggle and cuddle Hers to death. Never will Hers have an empty bed at night, and during the day – even if she’s off exploring – she’s only a thought away from a divebomb-cuddle. During Flights, she’s as teasing as any green, and afterward she will love to just wrap herself all up in her mate. Or around her bonded, if her mate isn’t one to stick around – she doesn’t mind much either way.
Fun Facts:
Craftskills:
Craft: Dolphineer
Level of Proficiency: Journeyman
Specialty: He’s a strong swimmer, and well versed in the small knife he has on him, especially for removing water-bourn parasites that could cling to a dolphin or person’s skin.
Weakness: He’s too overconfident, sometimes resulting in him taking risks. In the sea, this is a thing that could get him killed.
