Post by ∞ on Sept 13, 2011 0:43:24 GMT -5
Character
Username: Imagination (∞)
Character Number: 1
Name: Оксана Новикова (Oksana Novikova) [okSAHnah No-veekah-WAH]
Age: 29 Turns
Rank: Dragon Rider. Former WingLeader.
Where they are from: Казаки́ Hold (Cossack Hold)
Weyr: Transfering from Warland Weyr to Silence Weyr
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Demisexual Panromantic (Kinseyian)
Appearance:
One immediate thing that people tend to notice about Oksana is that she is both tall, and very thin. She stands at 5' 10", but only weighs around 130 imperial pounds. A common nickname in her childhood was 'Stick'. Her waist is quite trim, and her bust is very small. While her height can be intimidating to those shorter than her, and her figure carries well in a dress, she looks like a soft wind could topple her over. Despite being in the WeyrLeader 'career path' she is not very strong, nor particularly fast, and so there are no noticeable muscles on her frame.
Oksana's skin is pale with a slight pinkish tone like many from Warland, but she does not burn easily. Her eyes are slender and long, her lashes full. Her nose is pert, but slightly crooked from having been broken a few times. Beneath her eyes is a mass spotting of brown and pinkish freckles. The color of her irises are deep green. Oksana possesses a small scar on her right eyebrow from another fight, and her right ear has a few nicks and tatters in it from similar situations. It is also lightly pink from being burned.
Her hair is deep brown, and is generally kept short and silky, which she either styles up or out, depending on the needs of the day. She attempts to clean her hair regularly, so it keeps a healthy shine. When her hair lacks the shine, its generally an indicator of her stress level and how busy she might be.
Along the outer edges of her right arm, right hip, right ear, right of her neck, and right leg is continuos burn mark, where she was clipped by a dragon's flame. Fortunately her hand was pulled in at the time, so it was left undamaged. Her face was also spared the flame burst when she turned her head, hitting the ear instead of the cheek or eyes. The burn was not bad enough to cause permanent disfiguring or disuse; but it has left red patches and the red 'veining' along these areas, as is a common side-effect of burns. It can bother Oksana at both of the ends of the temperature spectrum, but mild weather has no effect. Most of the time she applies balms to the burn and does her best to ignore the pain. Oksana, being brought up in a household that held appearances in high regard, does her best to cover the burn up by wearing sleeved jackets, scarves, long pants, and putting her hair over her ear. Most of the time she is successful.
Personality:
+ Intelligent, Clever, Calculating, Quiet, Perceiving, Loving
- Insensitive, Demanding, Passive Aggressive, Deceptive
"To look into her eyes is to be dominated. In the time it took for the thought of wanting to argue to occur to you; she has already planned, fought and won every step of the war in her mind. She has dissected your body, mused the philosophy of war, calculated your likely next move, and peeled away the layers of your psyche. All in that time. You can see it in her eyes; that intelligence. You are a dumb beast, she is the smartest of man."
~ Accounting by Former WeyrMate
Oksana was a bit peculiar from birth, learning quickly and acting differently than children her age. When it was discovered a few Turns later that she was a Hear All Dragons, the matter was dismissed. However, her rapturous progress through schooling and any matters she might be able to learn was impossible to deny, and even harder not to notice. Word spread, and the very few scientists of the world who sought to understand the basic workings of the mind traveled to see her. Administering tests, they discovered her capability to learn and already possessed knowledge was in the extreme end of the spectrum. She was declared a genius at only 11 Turns.
Due to her genius, her separation from similar age groups to her own was common. She simply thought on another level than they did. This separation unfortunately left the mark of stunted emotional intelligence, and this would continue to have ramifications throughout her life. She could be easily absorbed in her own mind, and be completely oblivious to surroundings or people around her. When in a relationship she cares very deeply for the other person, but her quiet and hard-to-read nature can leave the partner feeling cold. It is still something that happens to this day.
Growing up in the social class sometimes called the "nouveau riche" taught her certain social expectations. She was to be appear well-kept at all times, and the navigation of the upper class taught her skills in deception and how to strike out passive-aggressively. At times her intelligence was paraded, other times banned. Due to her intelligence, when she decides to take revenge on someone, it is generally brutal. She never brings physical harm, but is able to figure out the best way to emotionally hurt someone proportional to her own pain. Her vengeance is a personality trait she is often trying to tame.
When not lost in her own thoughts, Oksana is a charming person who knows how to (superficially) handle a crowd and engage with others. While her ability to empathize is hard to express for her, she really does care about others; but is unable to voice it like others might be able to understand. At times she is afraid of her own intellect, its wordless calculations frightening her like a child that doesn't yet know the name for a monster.
She also has painful embarrassment regarding the burns she received, as they are considered unsightly, and it was strictly enforced in her family that appearances mattered greatly. Oksana does her best to cover them up, and hates for them to be seen. Its an emotional trigger for her, and someone talking about them can cause her to close in on herself.
She is generally quiet, claiming that words usually cannot portray or encompass what she may want to say about something. Her tone is soft spoken, but assertive enough to command attention when need be.
Bonded
Name: уша́нкаф (Ushankath) [Oo-shey-n-kath]
Type: Dragon
Gender: Male
Hex Codes: 420002 - Body; B41428 - Markings; 070000 - Foot and Tail
Size in Feet: 30
Age: 15 Turns
Personality:
Ushankath is a wonderful match to his Rider, a Bond well made. He is more talkative than she, and encourages his quiet Rider to be more social. He also is very patient, able to listen to his Riders' thoughts and theorems even when he has the littlest clue of what she is talking about. He is always pressing her to find friend's, knowing that her academic capabilities are well taken care of, but her friend ones are not.
He also has a streak of match-making. He views WeyrMates as wonderful contributions to his Rider's development, and will often try to pair her up with someone who he thinks will care for her and let her grow. At times he guesses incorrectly, and makes a fool of himself in the trying. Lately this has expanded beyond his Rider, and he has started sometimes match-making for other Riders as well. Or at least he has in his own mind, as hes very secretive about whom he is trying to set up with whom. He is not above causing 'accidents' so that two Riders might end up meeting each other.
When battle calls Ushankath is always ready to answer. He is a swift and fierce fighter, quick on his wings and able to think autonomously. This allows him to focus on the claws and teeth parts of a fight, allowing Oksana to be battle passively, granting her more time to develop strategies and tactics.
Appearance:
"Woah. That one is like lava."
"No, no. More like... like flowing blood."
"That is kind of scary..."
"Not just blood flowing. Fresh blood flowing over old, dried blood. Like an old battlefield."
~ Candidates
Ushankath's primary color is a very deep red, and it covers most of his body. The tip of his tail and all four of his feet are a deep black. His most notable markings are the much brighter red flowing shapes, which do look like lava crawling over the ground, or blood. He has darker flecks scattered about his body, and the patterns seem entropic at best. His talons are well maintained by Oksana, and his adult dragon teeth have remained sharp and unbroken thus far. His wings, legs, and tail are all fairly proportionate for a dragon of his size. The 'nubs' on his head are a bit taller than many dragons however. He thinks they make him look stately.
Pets: One Flitter
Pet Name: Телогрейка (Telogreika) [Teh-o-gu-raykah]
Type and Coloring: 5D5956 - Splotches; 7E7B74 - Splotches; A9A59A - Splotches
Gender: Male
Size: 14"
Information:
Telogreika, sometimes called Telo for short, has been with Oksana for longer than Ushankath has been. Oksana received Telo at the age of 10 Turns. As was customary amongst people of Cossack Hold, Flitts were more a matter of communication, etiquette, and hunting, not so much kept as pets. Whenever you went somewhere important, you took your Flitter as to appear more proper and in-touch with social expectations. Oksana has always treated her Flitter well, but she has never been deeply affectionate; she was simply raised otherwise.
Telo is a well-behaved Flitter, and sticks to his duty of delivering messages and relaying information for his Bonded as much as any Flitter. Hes no-nonsense and doesn't engage in much games like many of his distant Flitter relatives. He likes to hunt well enough, but it isn't his favorite past-time. His favorite past-time is doing his job, much like a canine might be pleased to do so. He is encouraged when his Bonded goes to formal meetings and brings him as to display proper etiquette, and he is allowed to show himself off a little.
History
"Typical analysis would point to all events in a person's existence shaping them to be who they are. Although, there are major events that can form turning points, complete shifts in the establishment of psyche. These can often be boiled down to just a few things..."
~John Vicker, Professor of the Mind, Journal Entry
15 Turns Ago
Oksana bit her lip, watching the eggs, watching the crowd. She could feel its energy, it was called affective awareness. Different patterns, speech. Even the dragons. She was a 'Hear All Dragons' after all. Thoughts and emotions to be read. A constant exchange of energy, it was all right there. It was exhausting, even though she couldn't turn it off. She just... saw it all. She had to focus her mind on the event at hand, to distract from outside factors.
(Lim nx->1) [1/c-(n15,...nx+1-nx)-e] seemed an appropriate equation to demonstrate her potential to Impress any one dragonet. She thought. It was really hard to think with all these things going on. Oksana put a hand on her head, frustrated. She had to keep thinking about the problem. She was completely ignoring the sands. It was a curious case of probability. Her chance to Impress any one dragonet was greater as time went on, but her probability to Impress at the Hatching as a whole decreased over time, as demonstrated by the linear progression of n/c.
She heard some of the candidates mumble near her. Something about lava, or something. She couldn't be sure. She just had to focus on the problem at hand. She was lost in thought, completely impossible to follow, when she felt something... talk to her.
<~Mine. Mine! Are you there Mine?~> A dragonet was sitting in front of her, head tilted, tail wrapped around his paws. She heard his voice like she heard others... but this was so much more. A much, much deeper connection than any other dragon she'd heard speak.
<"Oh...oh hello!"> was all she could stammer out. This feeling... it was... overwhelming, but completely comforting.
<~Mine. I don't know what these letters mean. Do you want to know why I chose you though? Do you Mine?~> burst the bubbly little dragonet, who seemed to be slightly wiggling.
<"Well... of course!"> that was slightly better. She knelt down infront of the dragonet, looking directly into his eyes, trying to comprehend everything she saw and felt. There was just so much.
<~Because of your hat, Mine. I like it!~> he wiggled again.
Oksana reached up and felt the warm cap she was wearing. An Ushanka, as they were called. Kept her ears warm. The Sands were warm, but it was a freezing cold Warland winter.
<~Do you want to know why I like it?~> he goaded, like an excited child.
<"Of ourse."> she responded, now fully enraptured by the friendly spirit she felt connected to her mind. Her affective awareness had died down. It was just her, and him.
<~Because it is named after me of course! I am Ushankath!~> he reached forward and stuck his head against her chest.
<"Oh... of course."> she reached forward, wrapping her arms around his head, and hugged him. In the back of her mind she wondered, what were the odds a hat and the dragon having the same name? She started to run the calculations, but then she stopped. The odds could wait for another day.
5 Turns Ago
Oksana listened to the chaos around her, sword in hand. She was ready to strike as the Zanthien came slithering in on her position. Already it had circled around her and Ushankath. She was to cut it from her Bonded if need be.
<~We come!~> yelled another dragon, somewhere above her. The Zanthien turned its beaded eyes to the sky as said dragon dove, fire brimming at its mouth.
<"What are yo-"> she was cut off as the fire lanced out. Oksana turned her head, and pulled her body in close, feeling the heat drive closer and... nothing.
The next few weeks passed in madcap, feverish dreams where not even the great power of her mind could find any logic. Drug induced sleeping. Pain. Sleep. At times she would hear something... dragons or people voices... she couldn't tell. In and out she went, barely awake, only aware of a keen sense of pain.
At the end of those few weeks she finally opened her eyes to see one of the Healers sitting close to her bed. It was actually her weyr, as she was vaguely aware of Ushankath on the ledge outside.
<~Slowly, Mine.~> he cautioned, but did not speak more for not to overwhelm her recently woken mind.
<"What...happened..?"> she croaked at the Healer, who promptly offered her some water.
<"An accidental burn, I'm afraid M'lady. You will have burns on your right for the rest of your life."> the Healer responded, using Oksana's title. Her family had ascended through means of plutocracy into being a member of the aristocracy.
Oksana nodded slowly, something she'd been able to comprehend over the past few weeks. She could see the wrapping, she knew what lay beneath.
<"And... my wing?"> she asked cautiously, wondering how they had fared. She was their WingLeader... without her guidance...her tactics and strategy....
<"I'm sorry M'lady. There was a 3/4th casualty rate."> the woman looked aside.
<"Who?"> her throat constricted in fear, a painful reaction considering she was still parched.
<"M'gel, P'otr, R'dvik, Vl'd, Galina, Ulyana, K'gan..."> the woman responded tentatively.
Oksana fought back tears, then she realized something, and reached out to grab the woman's arm. She had only listed 7. The woman might have rounded the rate, but that wasn't likely. <"Who else...?"> she asked, but she already knew the answer.
<"M'lady, I'm very sorry. I'm afraid comrade Alexandra did not return from the field of battle.">
Tears poured down Oksana's face, and Ushankath let out a low croon. Even if the Healer had asked, and had been told, Ushankath could not understand what his Mine was thinking. It was so complex, it seemed to defy language. Ultimately, he knew one thing. Oksana had lost her WeyrMate, and she felt pain... and a most terrible grief.
2 Turns Ago
Oksana stared the chalkboards. Written across it where suppositions, theories, calculations. They weren't just math and science, but the study of animals, and behavioral patterns. It was one of her two problems. The first was had to do with Ushankath and his name. The second was that fateful day 3 Turns ago. How what happened could have happened. Why it happened. Should it have happened. She was always trying to figure these things out, and could lose herself in them for days. She had to know why her WeyrMate had died, why her friends, comrades, and fellow warriors had perished. There had been other people in her Wing since. There had been nights in the arms of another due to a Flight, but they did not count. It was all about 3 Turns ago. She was wiping away a section and writing in another with a piece of chalk when someone arrived at the edge of her Weyr. They gave a salute, and a small cough, but she did not notice.
<~Mine. Someone is here.~> Ushankath gently reminded her.
She turned, and stared, more of a physical act than one with any mind behind it.
<"M'lady Novikova. Forgive my intrusion. I'm bring news from the WeyrLeader."> it was a delivery man. She would have picked up on his nervous nature, had she not been more distracted.
She nodded at him to continue.
<"The WeyrLeader wishes me to inform you that thus forth you have been stripped of your title as WingLeader. He cites your distraction as justification. Thank you."> the man left quickly.
Oksana turned and continued writing, her thoughts never having deviated.
Not Long Ago
<~I am glad you are taking my advice.~> Ushankath said smugly, with the slightest bit of a hum to his tone.
<"I suppose you are right, of course. You do realize they are not going to enjoy the thought of my leaving. I am a strategic resource with my intelligence, not to mention one of the few Hear All Dragons on Pern. They may not allow me to go, even."> Oksana responded to her dragon.
<~We will leave before they notice. We shall pack everything up. We need to get away from Warland. Go somewhere else! Somewhere more interesting!~>
Oksana continued packing, stuffing everything where she could. So many notes of so many thoughts. She'd long abandoned the problems on the chalkboard, though they still remained. Emotionally, she had mostly recovered, but she'd still felt... off. When Ushankath had suggested a transfer, she had jumped on the idea.
<"M'lady, are you taking a trip somewhere?"> someone spoke up from the edge of her weyr. The Junior WeyrLeader, who was smitten with her. Though not she with him. Oksana thought some colorful phrases and turned.
<"Just a short trip, Comrade."> she responded formally, trying to discreetly finish packing.
The man was shrewd however. <"I doubt that. Are you... You would not dare transfer! That would be a betrayal! You are of Warland! Would you dare go to another country?! Fight your brethren?! Give your skills to another?!"> he was approaching quickly.
<"Yes, I would."> she muttered, grabbing her shashka, which was a type of sword, and her pistol. She turned and leveled at him, knowing it was tantamount to treason. <"I am leaving. Goodbye."> she grabbed hold of Ushankath's gear, keeping the pistol trained on him the whole time. With a flap, Ushankath lifted off, the Junior Weyrleader staring slack-jawed the whole time.
With great concentration, they went between.
