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Name: Meroe
Age: 23 as of 3575.13.21
Nameday: 3552.10.01
Sex: Female (trans)
Sexual Orientation: Pansexual
Craft: Beastcrafter
Rank: Apprentice, Candidate
Location: High Reaches Weyr
Physical Description: At 5'11", Meroe is relatively tall, but by no means a giant, with a thick, chubby sort of build. She puts on weight easily, but is more capable of active pursuits than she appears. Still, she is hardly the strongest or fastest. With broad shoulders and a wide frame, she does not have the most feminine bone structure; that said, her build itself lends her a softness and more feminine appearance. Along with chest prosthetics, she manages a relatively feminine appearance. Her facial features are petite, with a narrow face and a slender, if not slightly large, nose.

Her light brown skin is lovely, complimented by her dark, amber-hued eyes. Her hair, so dark a brown that it appears black, is straight, but has a natural sort of volume, a floof, if you will. She often wears it in two thick braids, both relatively loosely done. Meroe's hair is long--even in braids, it reaches her hips. Her bangs are short and fluffy, as well.

Clothing-wise, Meroe enjoys things that are feminine, but prefers long skirts to dresses. She likes intricate designs, and has a pair of strapped sandals (basically gladiator sandals). She loves pretty or cute outfits, and tends to be rather fashionable. On her belt, she keeps a leather side pouch, which she fills with small, cute items. The pouch has fringes.

Personality: Meroe's insecurity manifests in being a pushover. She does what anyone asks, what anyone wants. It isn't just because she doesn't believe she deserves good things; it's also because she wants desperately to make others happy. As a natural people pleaser who has forced martyrdom upon herself, Meroe sacrifice anything to make others happy and safe. She's not just willing to sacrifice her own happiness (no matter the form), she seems almost eager to. While she is easy to manipulate and convince, she is also prone to offering things that benefit others--to her detriment. She actively seeks out making others happy, no matter the cost to her. Meroe lives to serve. She gives of herself until she has nothing left, and often runs herself ragged trying to help and please.

Naturally, Meroe is generous, not just with resources, but also with her time. She would give up the shirt off her back, but she is also eager to do acts of service. She tries to do good deeds, to brighten up a stranger's day--even if sometimes people can be grumpy, rather than appreciative--and is always ready to lend a hand and help out around the Weyr. It doesn't matter how miserable or undesirably the task is. She's still ready and willing, even enthusiastic.

Maybe can you not do things to hurt her, though? It's fine if you need to, she just...would really rather not? Maybe? Meroe can be exceptionally timid, especially when it comes to voicing her worries and pains, but is generally a sociable and friendly individual. She loves talking one-on-one with others, but can be a bit shy in groups, and reluctant to ask for what she needs. Passive, she often lets things happen, in terms of her own life, rather than asking someone to stop or intervening. She knows how to help, how to fix, how to love--not how to confront. It's only natural that she's a pushover. She can't say no to anyone, and even if she tries to stand up for herself, she bends easily with a little convincing.

She often doesn't form opinions, and absorbs the opinions of others, but she does believe in a few things quite fiercely. One, she believes that people are all good. Even the grumpiest or cruelest person has some good inside them, and she believes this with all her heart. Because there is good in everyone, she tries her hardest to bring it out. Naturally, this results in her trusting, giving everyone the benefit of the doubt. She doesn't just give second chances--Meroe gives infinite chances. She genuinely trusts others, no matter how many times they have hurt her, but is sensitive and easily hurt by loss and betrayal. Criticism is hard for her to hear, but she braves everything that hurts with a smile. Turn the other cheek, right? Cruelty hurts her, of course, but she bounces back from insults. While she may be sensitive and insecure, she acts as though it doesn't affect her. After all, she knows in her heart that they only lash out because they are hurting and in pain...

Two, she believes that everyone has value and is equal. She doesn't believe in the dragon ranks--or any ranks--as a result, but sees that some personalities are natural leaders. Of course, she recognizes she is not one of those personalities. As a result, she accepts what others tell her, and remains resigned and complacent to things such as dragon rank. Obedient and dutiful, she still takes extra care in doing whatever those in authority ask.

Three, she believes in positivity. No matter how dark things get, no matter what happens, she knows she has to stay strong and positive. It isn't an act--she knows things will work out, and she KNOWS there is good in everyone. Some may call her naive--and perhaps she is--but it is despite hardship and stress that she remains optimistic and cheerful.

A bright personality, Meroe tries to bring light, laughter, and love to every interaction. Maybe that's why she loves telling such bad jokes. A bit corny, both in humor and in sentiment, many think Meroe to be maudlin and insincere. In truth, she is genuine and puts her heart on the line for others--she just loves so strongly that she refuses to see the bad in others. A bit of rose-tinted glasses, constantly making her get hurt. Still, she remains resilient, and carries on despite it. Optimism is a choice she makes every day, after all.

Meroe can save everyone, or so she thinks. While it is a bit self-important, even condescending, to think that everyone needs your help, and that you can fix all their problems, Meroe's belief comes from her sweet nature at its base. She is kind and caring, determined to do everything she can to contribute to the happiness of others. Compassion is her greatest strength, and her empathy results in her feeling upset for the sake of others--feeling their pain. That said, she cannot tell when someone is lying, and is extremely gullible. Easy to manipulate, especially for crocodile tears, she lacks the ability to see beyond the surface in this way.

Despite the things that she has experienced, despite the stressors that she puts in the back of her mind, Meroe remains hopeful and optimistic. Everything WILL work out--for her, for you, for everyone. She may not know how, yet, but she knows in her heart that everything will end up okay. Perhaps this is why she remains resilient. Easily hurt, she nonetheless bounces back easily. While helping others, no matter how much she pushes herself, doesn't stress her, certain things do, but she always takes it in stride and recovers quickly. For one thing, Meroe hates confrontation--especially violence. Even in arguments, she tries to mediate, or at least defuse the situation. She is a pacifist at heart, both for physical aggression and verbal or emotional.

Positive Trait List sweet, caring, hopeful, optimistic, kind, resilient
Negative Trait List corny, pushover, overly trusting, emotionally vulnerable, self-sacrificing, timid
History: tw: misgendering/transphobia, death

Meroe was born at a beastcrafting cothold, small and intimate and filled with family. The family business involved, of course, the beastcraft, and Meroe was expected to join it from a young age. Many expectations were put on her--while she loved the beastcraft and yearned to join the family business, she was also given gender-related expectations. Her family was very traditional; from her birth, she was seen as a boy, and groomed to become the head of her own household, someday. By the time she was 7, she knew with certainty that she was not a boy. As a child, she spent a lot of time by herself, with her insecurities and closeted gender driving her away from others. People treated her like, referred to her as a boy; animals didn't. She spent hours each day with the animals, and wished that she could enjoy being around others. Socially-driven, it hurt to be alone; but it hurt more to be aware of herself, of the disconnect, of the expectations.

By the time she was 10, she came out. Some of her family accepted her--her younger brother, Rodynor, and her mother, Roednaia, didn't understand, but still loved her and made an effort to use the correct pronouns, and refer to her as she wanted. They wouldn't quite see her as a woman until she was older, after growing out her hair and starting makeup, but they tried. Her father, Orymeis, and her baby sister, Naiameio, didn't try. Naia was her father's favorite; she believed whatever he did. Orymeis did not accept his daughter, and made a point of misgendering her and using inappropriately gendered language.

As a result, Meroe's relationship with her father was rocky. Other than this, they had been close, and she loved him dearly. Family oriented and loving, Meroe could not feel any disdain or hatred towards her father. Likewise, her father loved her--he just didn't believe in her transition and thought she would always be a boy. Half of the cothold seemed to believe her father's narrative, but the other half were in fierce support of her. The schism caused some family drama, which Meroe felt awful about, but in the end, everything would calm down, and shift towards indifference.

Due to these stressors, Meroe did not formally join her craft until she was 14. Most at the hold joined early, rather than late, but Meroe avoided others until that point. At 14, she decided that despite everything, she wanted to be around and love her family, even if they didn't accept her. She wouldn't avoid or isolate any longer. She threw herself into her studies full force, and her father was proud of her--despite their friction. Not that he told her, of course!

Two turns later, at 16, her father died of a heart attack. His health had been perfect up until then, and as a result, he felt no need to fix things with Meroe. Meroe had been sweet and kind, but her father's gruff ways and misgendering hurt. Their relationship remained rocky, confusing, and often unpleasant up until the end. When her father passed so suddenly, Meroe grieved not just the loss of her father, but the lack of closure. Would her father have ever accepted her? She would never know. She wished she had been able to repair things.

She left her craft, putting it on pause, to support her family emotionally. She did the same tasks she did before, but had no time to learn new skills. Her family needed her. She would run errands, offer support, make dinner, and so on. Meroe's mother was sick with grief, and the other two children were not much better off. By the time she was 18, she was able to return to her craft, and her brother stepped up to support the others, so that Meroe could learn. She still continued to run errands and do tasks for her family, when she was able.

Meroe had always dreamed of dragons, in the way that many children in cotholds do. She had never seen one--and thought she never would--but daydreamed about Impressing. It was less than improbable--it was a fantasy that Meroe didn't imagine could ever come true. When she visited a major hold, however, she was able to meet a dragon, who was on search. She met the dragon first--a lovely green, spotted before Meroe could complete her errand. Amazed, she drew nearer, and was shocked when the dragon spoke to her. After chatting with the dragon, keeping her company, the dragon's rider arrived. He'd spent dinner with the holder, and lamented the poor choices for his dragon to search. Nonchalantly, the green remarked that she found a wonderful candidate right here.

Surprised, Meroe blinked at them, both of their eyes turning towards her. She'd never dreamed that she would become a candidate. A brief trip between brought her home, and upon receiving her family's blessing, she arrived at High Reaches Weyr. With little experience in her craft, the 18 turn old threw herself into her candidate studies, hoping desperately (and optimistically) that it would work, and she would Impress. She remained close friends with the rider and his dragon, but made friends with several other candidates.

When thread started falling, Meroe was all the more determined to become a dragonrider. She was not very capable, as far as she thought, but she wanted to do all she could to protect her home.

At 22, she met Cefai, who became her best friend. After about a turn, maybe 1 to 3 months before Zeno's eggs were clutched, Cefai suddenly started ignoring and avoiding Meroe. It stung, but Meroe remained positive and resilient.

Other: Someone can make her rider friend, if they want! The pair is unnamed (male greenrider).

She loves swimming, but is afraid of the ocean. It's so big, and who knows what is lurking?She's also afraid of tunnelsnakes, but otherwise loves animals. Cute things--like babies, be they human, animal, or dragonkin--are especially loved. She also enjoys making bad puns, and will definitely laugh if someone else makes a bad joke.


Candidate Specific Questions
Do you want them to have an official Search RP? No
Do you understand they will age every passing year regardless if you're there to RP the or not? Yes
Do you want them to have a possible Stands Impression? No