Name: Ilauria
Age: 28
Nameday: 3547.05.07
Sex: Female
Sexual Orientation: Bisexual
Weyr: Western Weyr
Rider Rank: Watch-rider (if available)—wingrider
Previous Rank/Craft: None
Physical Description: Slender but finely muscled, Ilauria's small stature belies the coiled strength she carries. All of 5' even, she nonetheless is a force to be reckoned with, and not just because she's a cute little thing—she's a dragonrider through and through, and she works hard to be a match for any other rider of any shape or size in all of Western. Her dark skin is flecked with even darker freckles across her nose and cheeks, over her shoulders and down her back; her hair is as black as wet ink and just as shiny, long enough to hang halfway down her back, but often tightly tied and twisted up to fit under a riding cap. Gray eyes—not quite silver—stand out big and bright against her complexion, giving her something of an innocent look that doesn't match her turns.
Personality: Ilauria is a hard-working team player if ever there was one. Absolutely devoted to her role in life as a dragonrider and defender of Pern, she seems to take to trial and tribulation like a duck to water, throwing herself entirely into the effort as if thread's return isn't the single more terrifying event to happen in her lifetime (or that of anyone she's ever known). She isn't one to skip out on duties or drills, and she's never let her small size or lack of visible grit stop her from taking on any challenge set before her. She works well with others, equally capable of taking the lead or being a follower, as long as she is able to help out the team—she gives equal energy in any role (that being all of her energy) and she is happy to participate in (and even enjoys) bouncing ideas back and forth with her wingmates, even if hers isn't the one that's picked at the end of the day.
For those in need, she always has a helping hand to lend. You need a ride to a far off Hold? She has time! You need advice on what dress to wear to the gather to make sure you catch your crush's eye? She has time! You need someone to cover your turn at watch? As long as the bosses don't mind, she has time! Ilauria is free with her time and her marks, though she works hard to spread either too thin, and has little trouble tactfully broaching the subject of assisting if she sees someone looking out of sorts or upset. If something she recommends doesn't work out, she is graceful about it, accepting criticism with the same serene and active approach to self-improvement, taking to heart what's been said, and really doing her utmost to keep it in mind going forward, and she almost never makes the same mistake twice.
But the truth of the matter is that, deep down inside, all of Ilauria's hard work and social-butterfly nature, every piece of advise and eager leap to join in on a task... it's all in the hopes of being praised. The woman craves approval like a newborn firelizard craves meat—it sustains her, and she struggles greatly without it (or when seeing others be praised without her). Even if only as part of a larger group—a wing, a flight, even the whole Weyr—she enjoys being lauded, and though she is very aware of her faults, she cannot help but feel the creep of the green-eyed monster any time she's part of a losing team, or gets left out, or goes overlooked.
She handles criticism well only on the surface, and her diligent awareness of her past mistakes comes more from a deeply sensitive place than one of willing growth. She is easily wounded, though she desperately, diligently hides such hurts away, and will avoid a second complaint or criticism at all costs. Ilauria is slow to share her inner thoughts, and what advice she gives, when examined closely, can be quite generic (if well-meant and genuine in that it is her best attempt to help with a problem). While she is bold in friendship (or at least warm-acquaintanceship) she is reclusive in matters of the greater heart, her fears of criticism and worry that the object of her interest might find someone else they like better than her one day, making her hesitant to act on such affections until she can be absolutely sure of where she stands (that being, hopefully, at the very top of the heap).
Finally, while the return of thread has given her a great chance to prove herself, to gain fame and praise and recognition, it has come at the cost of a great many things in life which Ilauria loves. People, places, things... so much was lost in First Fall, and entire ways of life had to be abandoned to return to more traditional roles, even in Western Weyr. A sense of deep melancholy lurks behind her smiling face, and leaves her all the more prone to either throwing herself into the fight or else hiding away for a good cry. Some days it's only her craving for esteem that keeps her in the battle with Ovshth against the enemy, the knowledge that she would be forever judged for her choice if she opted to leave the fighting life behind.
Pros: Devoted, generous, disciplined, synergistic.
Cons: Private, envious, melancholic, sensitive.
History: Ilauria was born in Western Weyr, and she grew up in the crevhe knowing she would become a candidate and try her hand at impressing a dragon. For turns she looked forward to that day, sharing her hopes with her agemates and friends, and watching closely how the older candidates carried themselves, what they said or did—especially if they were the ones to impress. When the time came, to her misfortune, she found herself picked on, teased a little, for her size. The smallest of her agemates, she often found herself relegated to the back, or left out. It left her with a bit of a complex, as well as a wavering worry for the first time that she would be left standing and dragonless.
Thankfully Ovshth didn't keep her waiting long. Once the brown appeared to claim her, no one could tease her over her size or worth to the dragons any more. Sure, he was a tiny brown... but she was a tiny rider, and they fit together like they were meant to be, which, of course, they were.
She threw herself into being a rider, though at the tie that didn't mean much. She'd take on any task the Weyr gave her, do searches, run missives, anything. She never wanted to leave any doubt as to her ability, or give anyone a chance to say she wasn't pulling her weight. Of course, that all came crashing down in 3572 when thread returned—the happy, fulfilling, beautiful world she'd always known was shattered, and she's been picking up the pieces ever since. That doesn't mean she's let on to her worries though, oh no. She took to fighting with panache, relying on her determination and Ovshth's tempered calm even in battle to see them through. They've taken it day-by-day since.
Other: Anything else you want to add?
DRAGON
Name: Ovshth
Age: 13
Color: Brown
Size: 32'
Physical Description: Ovshth is a tiny brown. Minimum length and sleek, he's really just a blue that's been rolled in the mud. Despite his relaxed (and almost layabout) nature, he's quite lean, and doesn't carry much extra weight at all. His eyes are a perpetual shade of blue-purple most of the time he isn't fighting thread, and generally comes off very friendly at a glance, moreso than typical.
Personality: Ovshth is as laid-back as it gets. He's never in a hurry, never worked up, and always in a low-key good mood. It would take a monumental effort to aggravate him, and really he just thinks that most of the time it's not worth it to get angry over the small stuff (and honestly, isn't it all small stuff?) He isn't dumb, isn't careless however—he's just care-free, and smart enough to know that most things you can't fix any faster by getting worked up. Lots of things won't change either way, and it's too much work to get mad. Too uncomfortable too.
His relaxed nature does make it easy for him to be a slow starter, and a quick stopper as well. He never really feels pressured to do much at all, so he doesn't typically try very hard either. His flat-line personality can also come across as shallow at times—he doesn't express whatever excitement he feels, and when something really wonderful happens that should have him crowing his joy, he's... well, still pretty placid about it.
The only one he shows the full spread of his emotions too, the full depth of his hearts, is his Ilauria. And though he never really needs comforted himself, he’d move the seas and the stars to do it for her.
Dragon Art or Proof of Obtainment:
She also has a firelizard—blue Beleri.
