F'nalkan

Character type: Dragonrider
Rank: Weyrling
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Sexual Preference: Bisexual

Appearance

F'nalkan started as a strapping young lad, and he's ended up as a big linebacker of a man. He's tall and big-boned, solid to the core, broad-shouldered and muscular. Some men tend towards lean mass, but F'nalkan is one of those who tends towards bulk, and while his sculpted frame is certainly partially due to genetic good luck, he also puts a lot of work into it. His jaw is wide but his chin itself is rather narrow, his nose straight and wide-bridged, his green eyes roundish and perhaps a bit small for his head. His eyebrows are thick but paler in color than his hair and he keeps his light brown hair shaved down to stubble most of the time. He's relatively fair-skinned, with some sparse freckling here and there, and doesn't tan very well – lots of time outside at Ista, and several good sunburns, have finally gotten a light tan to set in, but if he were to shut himself away indoors for a good northern winter again, he'd probably lose it and have to start the whole process over again.

F'nalkan couldn't care less whether his clothing is the most fashion-forward, or whether the color flatters him or the style is new or whatever, but his dads have gotten one important thing to sink into his head: don't go around looking like a holdless hobo! So day-to-day his clothing is basic and servicable, nothing fancy, but he keeps it neat and presentable — if something frays or gets a hole in it, by golly he gets it mended before he wears it again, and if it gets dirty, he washes it, and otherwise he makes sure to fold it properly when putting it away so that it doesn't get all rumpled and wrinkly.

Personality

F'nalkan is physically capable, he's mentally capable – not usually the top of the class, but his marks have always been good enough – and back at home he had plenty of friends and the support of parents who thought he was just the greatest (or second-greatest, at least) thing that has ever existed. Is it any wonder he thinks he's destined for something special?

So he tends to be a bit full of himself – not in the fantastic, self-deluding way of someone like S'dren, no, but he certainly has some issues with overconfidence which have only recently been shaken by his Impression of Loninth. He doesn't think he's better than everyone, but he was supposed to be among the elite few, not the many. He was supposed to be one of those people who make the plans and make a difference!

And he wants to make a difference. Part of it feeds his ego, certainly, but he genuinely wants to do good. Despite his occasional bursts of temper and slightly-more-frequent sulking fits, his fathers have always insisted he comport himself properly and respect his elders, and adults have always commented on what a polite young man he is. He has always been respectful of authority, but quick to take the role of authority when it comes to interacting with his peers – the sort of young man who would carefully help an old lady carry her bags to the kitchens, but then immediately turn around and hang the neighbor kid by his underwear from a coat hook. It's easy to have morals, but it's often hard to realize when you're perhaps not living up to them. He can be very competitive, he can be temperamental, he can be outright mean sometimes. The line between confidence and arrogance is thin, and the line between leader and bully is even thinner. He's often overly critical of others, and can be impatient with those who don't keep up with him. At the same time, though, he's confident and decisive and laughs easily. Sometimes at the expense of others.

History

Birthdate: 431.06.14
Birthplace: Fort Weyr

Unlike so many of the other children at Fort Weyr – products of happy coincidence – F'nalkan was a desired child, a planned child. N'kanler had never been able to shake his holdbred notion that a man wasn't quite complete without a mate and children, and even if his Weyr family wouldn't be the traditional sort that his parents would have approved of, exactly, well, sometimes a man just has to adapt and compromise! Findeneri, weyrbred as he was, was no less enthusiastic about the notion – after all, the Pass was approaching and he might someday lose N'kanler and Kyrsabith – so it wasn't so hard to fall in love with the idea of having a N'kanler Junior running around the Weyr. Naedee was a friend, happy enough to oblige and enjoy having a baby around, but less interested in having a hand in the kid's life once it started walking and talking and being troublesome, so it was a perfect fit, really.

So young Finnalkan came into the world welcomed with open arms, doted upon by two fathers who gave him all the time they had to spare, adored from the very beginning. He knew he was second to Kyrsabith, but that was okay – that was /different, because of course no one compares with a dragon! Some might call him spoiled, and it's true to an extent as he enjoyed a lot of attention that other children did not… but on the other hand, they expected a lot out of him, too – the attention of a parent in the Weyr can be a mixed blessing at the best of times, and the attention of two, more-or-less united in vision, could be a lot of pressure. Finnalkan grew into a confident young man, well-liked by most of his particular social circle and by many of the adults in his life, but he also felt a lot of pressure to live up to these high expectations, to always be the man they expected him to be. He was sure he'd validate all their faith in him once he Impressed – and of course, no one could convince him that he had any other destiny ahead of him. The Pass was coming, the Weyr needed boys like him to Impress, and Impress well, to lead their Weyr into the skies.

Ista's first 'Fall was devastating to more than just Ista. Back at Fort, N'kanler was one of those riders selected to go to relieve Ista – he was a mediocre rider, decent enough but often argumentative and occasionally difficult – and, just like that, his weyrmate and son were forced to make a choice: uproot and leave the Weyr of their birth, and all their friends and the rest of their family, or say goodbye to a life with N'kanler. For Findeneri, the choice was easier to make than it should have been. Of course he would go, though not without lingering bitterness that such a decision was forced upon him by Fort's leadership (and Ista in general). How could he trust Ista's (clearly incompetent) riders to take care of N'kanler in the skies?

For Finnalkan, the choice was harder. Of course he loved and would miss his family, but could he really leave his life at Fort? His fathers weren't the only people in his life, and he felt he had a bright future ahead of him, but… ultimately, he felt betrayed by his home Weyr. How could they ask this of N'kanler, knowing he had a close family unit? How could they just throw him away, after all these turns of service, especially knowing it might lose his mate and son too, who had also given their lives to Fort? And how could he leave Findeneri to wrestle with this worry alone… or leave N'kanler to fly alone in Ista's skies with those sorry excuses for dragonriders?

In the end, of course he had to go. He'd show Fort and Ista! He could look after his dads, and soon he'd Impress and be able to protect N'kanler more directly, and maybe even eventually lead Ista himself, turn it around and make it even better than Fort ever was.

The latter was an idle notion, certainly, but definitely present… complicated by the less-than-warm welcome his family received upon their arrival. Suddenly he wasn't the big man in the barracks anymore, the guy with lots of friends (and lots of enemies that he barely noticed, let alone feared) who knew everyone and knew his place. He was one of those Outsiders, one of those who came in swaggering and ready to “help”, and his personality didn't really lend itself to making friends from such a disadvantaged position. This wasn't right – he was used to being someone special, important, and even if he wasn't really as important at Fort as he'd always thought he was, here at Ista this was all made unignorably, glaringly obvious to him. Well. He wasn't one to give up. He'd Impress soon, sure, and once he had his big bronze or brown, he'd show them, too!

Except… when his dragon finally came, it wasn't the dragon he had expected. Loninth was green, absolutely green, brave and full of desire to do good, but… with a bit of fluff between her ears. Now he's confused, full of guilt because she loves him so much and he doesn't want to hurt her, but everything is different for him now, and he's reeling from being forced to re-evaluate himself and his place in the world. It's hard for him to explain what's wrong – he loves greens, he values them, but… how is he supposed to put his talents to use now? It becomes more obvious with each passing day that Loninth isn't the sort of green who's going to allow him to win a rare greenriding wingsecond position, either… and he can't confide in her because it will hurt her, and can't even confide in his parents because it would hurt them if they thought that he thought that N'kanler was somehow lesser (which he doesn't, but feels helpless to explain). They're so happy for him…

Why can't he be happy for himself?

Relationships

Family

Father: N’kanler, rider of green Kyrsabith
Father: Findeneri, cook
Irrelevant Mother: Naedee, cook

Friends

Nobody. Anymore.

Lovers

Enemies

F’NALKAN’S DRAGON: GREEN LONINTH

Dragon Name: Loninth
Color: Green
Age: Babu
Weyr of Origin: Ista
Weyrling Class: RainCallers

Appearance

She may not be the tallest or the smallest, or have the most interesting markings, but Loninth's brilliant jade green hide still has a way of standing out despite – or perhaps because of — its lack of color variation. She's relatively average in height for a green dragon, but built broadly, particularly through her upper torso. One might expect a dragon with such a large chest to sport expansive lungs, and in this case the assumption would be correct; someday Loninth will be able to produce great gouts of flame (though control may be another matter entirely), and though her speed and maneuverability are fair, she will also possess a lot of stamina for a green. Her neck is relatively short, and her muzzle is, too; her eyeridges are particularly prominent, and the tip of her snout turns up very slightly, and all of these features combined give her a very recognizable face – a dragon face with enough character that even those who can't always tell one dragon from another will be able to remember.

Personality

Well, not every green can defy every stereotype, apparently. Loninth is a sweetheart, really she is, but she's not exactly the brightest dragon in the clutch. She's not stupid — she may need a little extra repetition in her lessons, but with a bit of extra attention she probably won't lag behind – she's just a little too open, a little too trusting, a little too naive about people and consequences. And, okay, let's be fair: she does have her share of bubbleheaded moments. Sometimes, instead of going from Point A to Point B, her brain goes from Point A to Purple to Seventy-Two, and she arrives at conclusions that are more fanciful than logical, but she does get to Point B eventually, in her own time.

It's the tendency to believe the best in everyone that really trips her up. She's quick to adopt friends, and even quicker to defend them even when they've done nothing to earn her loyalty – and who really could possibly ever earn the amount of loyalty that Loninth gives? She loves wholeheartedly, and she'll never, ever abandon those she loves – she'll side with them, do whatever they ask of her, and loudly defend them against anyone who tries to tell her otherwise. There may have never been a dragon as loving and devoted as Loninth, but when her friends are arguing with each other it puts her in a real pickle. Please don't fight! Oh hey, isn't this flower funny-looking? *hopeful face* She'll try to make jokes if it'll help – in fact, she's a rather funny dragon without even trying, though it's usually evenly split between the laughing with her sort of funny, and the laughing at her sort of funny. Things don't always come out sounding the way she expects them to. Oh well, at least everyone seems happy? That's the important thing, right?

Loninth really enjoys attention, particularly from the males, and she'll go out of her way to get it – never mind that when she's proddy they'll all be giving her more attention than she can handle. She doesn't want to be admired just when – and because – she's in heat, she wants them to think she's beautiful and fun and great all the time! She may tend to try a little too hard, in fact, because she's not naturally a smooth flirt, and it shows. Striking poses, trying to learn that oh-so-sinuous neck curve that some of her sisters can do, trying to imitate more confident ladies than herself, the ones she admires so much… she'll give it all a try, and more often than not it will just come across as silly and awkward. Her friends tell her to be confident, and the best she can do is pretend confidence, and the mask just doesn't quite fit her, doesn't quite cover up the hopeful, needy young dragon underneath. When she puts herself forward, when she boasts or swaggers, it's very obviously overcompensation, but you certainly can't fault her bravery! Though she's always afraid of making a fool of herself, she'll be the first to speak up, or shove herself up to the front of the line to try something dangerous, just to prove to others – and herself – that she's not actually afraid. And really, isn't facing your fears what courage is all about?

It's a testament to Loninth's inner strength that she keeps trying even though she tends to look the fool more often than not. She bounces back quickly from any setbacks, just as wide-eyed and eager as she was before, determined to do better. She can get discouraged in the short term, but overall she's an optimist, a happy dragon who's absolutely convinced that tomorrow will be a brighter day.

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