I don't need a husband, don't need no wife
And don't need the day, I don't need the night
And I don't need the birds let them fly away
And I don't want the clouds, they never seem to stay
Florence and the Machine, Leave My Body
BASICS
RETIRE INFO:
Seven: Adopt if needed for a plot, retire otherwise
Nanakoth: Adopt
NAME: Sevenna (never used), goes by Seven
GENDER: Female
PRONOUNS: She/her/hers
ORIENTATION: Bisexual
BIRTHDATE: Late Summer, 2749
AGE: 18 as of Late Summer 2767
LOCATION: Fort Weyr
OCCUPATION: Weyrling
WING: Weyrling Wing
APPEARANCE
EYES: grey-blue, expressive
HAIR: red, wavy, long
HEIGHT AND BUILD: 5’9, wispy and slim
PLAY-BY: Katya Voronina
FULL APPEARANCE:
Wraith-like, some would say as they glimpse this young woman for the first time. Seven is skinny, and has that undernourished, sickly look of a girl who has lived a little too long on the outskirts of good society. She is slight and lean, with disproportionately longer legs than back. Prone to fidgeting, Seven might be found tapping an unknown beat upon her thigh with dexterous fingers, or she pacing through the barracks or across the Weyrbowl, quick strides covering any distance she sets her mind to. Despite her build, Seven does not sicken easily and eats with an insatiable appetite. The girl at the buffet? Probably her. Lithe, she might remind others of a burgeoning tree, tall and proud and remarkably striking. There is a lightness to her step that speaks volumes of her natural grace, although she will often refuse to dance.
Her pale skin only adds to her ghostliness; a creamy white undertone, with soft rosey hints upon her cheeks, and a constellation of freckles covering her face. Beneath dark red brows are intense blue eyes, icy and crystalline. Captivating as they may be, Seven has discovered the subtle art of the extraordinarily piercing stare, and is more than capable of disarming a person with a single, pointed look. Delicate rosebud lips, of a soft scarlet hue, might just as easily pucker as purse, enhancing the joyful smile she so readily wears. Her face may seem gaunt- bony and thin, save for the high and rounded cheekbones- but there is no lack of life here. Her long, flaming red hair shows golden glints in the sunlight, and tumbles down to the middle of her back in enthusiastic waves. Seven enjoys braiding it, and is content to pin it up and under her helmet when the need arises.
Her dress-sense is one of practicality above all else. She owns very little Gather finery; the one dress that she has kept throughout the Turns has had to be modified a few times to fit her still, but the jewel red tone and the clinging cut bring out her blossoming beauty, now more than ever. Seven is especially fond of the colours red and green, and will attempt to add a little colour to her plain work and flying clothes. Though no expert at sewing, the young woman has a need for pockets that has seen her attach discarded cloth to pretty much all of her relaxed clothing.
As a result of her childhood accident, Seven bears a rather big and dark scar on the left side of her chest, the skin puckered and knotted over her rib cage. A spider web-like scar is visible on her right shoulder blade, paler than the rest of her skin. A small, straight scar starts at her right wrist and ends halfway up her forearm. She does not cover them up intentionally, but will only shrug when asked about them: it is a closed chapter of her life’s story, in her opinion.
PERSONALITY
PERSONALITY:
A first impression of Seven may conjure the idea of an easy-going and whimsical young woman, whose ready laugh and warm smile making her unlikely to blossom in a disciplined and strict life. She is kind-hearted and empathic, always willing to lend an ear to a friend or acquaintance in need. Her friendliness and social-ease make her a good conversationalist, as inquisitive and interested in somebody else as she is in her duties. Many people will only ever see the laughing, smiling, enduring Sevenna.
Beneath the polite veneer of concern and friendliness lies a young girl afraid of commitment and of getting too close to others. Her emotional unavailability stems from her fear of losing people, brought about by a traumatic childhood. She is terrified by the idea of being left behind, broken-hearted- whether intentional or not. Death, romance, even confidences with close friends… the intensity of her emotions and the /possibility/ of having them torn away make her reticent to engage at all. She does not give herself the space to feel deeply and fully, so Seven has become adept at studying and emulating others. She has practiced smiling, nodding, showing interest- and with each new interaction she distances herself from her true self even more.
Sevenna doesn't have much of a temper, and has rarely ever experienced anger even during the worst of her childhood. Seven has cultivated a large amount of resilience and determination, and isn't frustrated by obstacles and adversities. Bullying is something that she does not tolerate, and she is quick to jump to someone’s defence without consideration for the situation as a whole. She will fight it the situation calls for it, unafraid of pain or personal injury, but will never raise her voice. Her words will always remain cool and calm- even in the heat of the moment.
Romantic relationships are tricky to navigate, to say the least. Seven pulls back from overt offers and pursuits, uncertain and unwilling to let herself be vulnerable with others. She does, however, enjoy flirting. She is coming to a point in her life where she is discovering that women are just as beautiful (and attractive to her) as men, and whilst this was initially cause for some personal consternation she is embracing her new-found sexuality with renewed passion for the chase. Seven just /loves/ to tease and play.
HISTORY
FAMILY:
- Mother: Serasha {2727 - deceased}
- Father: Tavarllen {2724 - deceased}
- Brother: Tashar {2747 - deceased}
- Sister: Arllenne {2751 - deceased}
BIRTHPLACE:
HISTORY:
{Trigger warning: death, implied mental illness, childhood bullying}
Officially, Sevenna was born in Crom Hold, on a warm and waning summer’s night. Her mother, Serasha, was a talented musician possessed of a strong wanderlust. Her father, Tavarllen, had a keen mercantile sense and a passion for making marks. No horizon was too distant for them, which is why Sevenna could not describe her birthplace at all: they left as soon as Serasha had recovered enough to walk.
The caravan-life was not a bad one. Tavarllen was an experienced negotiator and merchant, and his network of contacts from various Holds meant that there was always somewhere new to visit, with a roof to welcome them. Sevenna did not know any other life: travelling was everything she ever needed. Her family was small, and though they shared their two wagons with a few musicians and performers, it was an intimate and comfortable setting.
Sometime after her fourth Turnday, in the autumn of 2753, Tavarllen made a decision that would cost them everything. They were leaving Ruatha with supplies bound for Tillek. He knew that crossing the Great Western Mountains would prove difficult as the days grew short and the weather turned, but the impulse to arrive at the hearty Hold and spend the winter with the fishermen was a strong and irresistible one.
They would make good time, he said. They would be fine, he said. Seven still remembers his words. She remembers the dubious look on her brother’s face as he glanced up at the sky and muttered about the approaching storm. She remembers the loud cries of her baby sister Arllenne, fussing as her mother rocked and swayed her, preternaturally aware of the danger that was soon to pass.
The lowing of the draught runners ought to have been enough to set them aside from their journey, at least momentarily, but there was no shelter in sight. Tavarllen swore up and down that it wasn’t much further until they reached a cave, that they would be safe for the night if only they pushed on.
Sevenna, however, doesn’t remember much, other than the heavy, pounding rain on the roof of their poor wagon. In her dreams, there’s a loud boom, followed by an immense and overwhelming pressure as earth and rock rained down upon them. Then she wakes, covered in sweat and gasping for air.
Back then, she did not wake for several days. Sevenna’s family, their wagons, their livelihoods- all were buried by a devastating landslide. It was a Fort Weyr watchrider that first reported the catastrophe, and a follow-up revealed that travellers had been caught in it. A rescue team of dragons and riders were dispatched to salvage what they could- and were surprised to find a young child alive in the wreckage.
Broken bones and temporary memory loss- scars that would last longer than her own recollections. Seven took months to recover the full use of her arms, her right forearm slightly misshapen still. She was kept at Fort Weyr under the watchful eyes of the Healers, although nobody really knew what to do with her. She was quite alone in the world, and barely coherent most of the time as she drifted in and out of terrorised and painful sleep- cogent enough to draw a name from her lips, and that was about it.
When she was finally released from the infirmary, the creche mothers took her on, and Seven joined the Fort weyrbrats around the age of five. It was very, very different to her life on the road, of which she remembered little. For starters- being around dragons on such a permanent basis rather altered her view of the world and its dangers. Secondly, the Weyr was like one very big family. The feeling of growing apprehension and fear threatened to consume her as she struggled to recall her mother’s face, and the comfortable feeling of those nights spent around a campfire in good company.
Seven. They said she was an unlucky girl, a cursed child. She was quite aware of the whispers that followed her back, and she pulled away from the other children even more. Some of the adults treated her differently- some didn’t speak to her at all, refusing to make eye contact in case her misfortunes were contagious.
Others, like a rather tall and imposing Greenrider by the name of T’mok, took a liking to her. He wasn’t afraid of telling off the other children when he found out who was pestering her, nor was he afraid of telling her, in no uncertain terms, that she was a gift to the world, like every other child, and that she had nothing to be ashamed of. His words were restorative, his kindness a boon in her lonelier days- Seven grew up with a smile on her face.
There was Naxen, too- although she had children of her own to care for, her occasional trips to the creche made her a beloved guardian in Seven’s eyes: she had a knack for spotting bullies and stopping them in their tracks. The fair-headed girl did her best to ingratiate herself with the bluerider, although the woman was often kept busy. There came a time of great sorrow for Naxen, and her visits to the creche stopped. Seven heard it was due to her weyrmate’s death, and the thought that she had somehow cursed that wonderful woman lodged itself deeply into her mind: guilt and shame of her own past, and deep sadness for the fate that had befallen Naxen’s family, never left her for too long.
T’mok was not the only one to bring her some form of inner peace. Kiriani, Bluerider to Arsemith, had a fondness for children- even the ones who were bad luck. Gentle and continuous encouragement and frequent visits made ‘Aunt Kiri’ one of Seven’s most favourite people; between uncle T’mok and her new aunties, she was beginning to feel like she had a family again. The warmth she felt was visible on her face, detectable in her light laughter and in the shimmer of her eyes. She was beginning to socialise like a normal girl.
Still, nothing would fill the ache left by her family’s deaths. She knew that when she closed her eyes at night, her dreams would be plagued by their imagined screams, by illusionary pain that was as real to her mind as the very breath she drew. Her night terrors worsened. Seven’s fidgetiness started about this time, a waking restlessness that came from long bouts of insomnia and a need to occupy her mind with anything, anything at all.
When Harper lessons first began, Seven found that she could pour all of her energy into them. Sleep came easier when she could go over ballads in her mind, reciting them to herself under her breath in the middle of the night. They didn’t all stick- her memory was faulty at best, and she had to try hard to impress her teachers. But impressed they were, and encouraged her to pursue Harpering as a Craft. When she was of age, she was officially accepted as a Harper. Her talents lay in singing and playing instruments- and the guitar was her favourite.
Life at Fort Weyr was vastly improved once she had become an apprentice Harper, although lessons were difficult. Due to the ongoing memory problems, she found it tricky to memorise songs off by heart, but excelled at improvisation and tune-writing- provided she could jot down her creations on the fly. Music focused her mind and stopped her thoughts from wandering- and more often than not Seven could be found drifting through the Weyr’s corridors, humming something or other of her own design.
The Turns passed, both in happiness and struggle. Sevenna still set aside time to spend with her foster family. During one such meetings, on a beautifully clear afternoon, she had begged T’mok to let her to bathe Matoath- the green was incredibly beautiful, and Seven was very fond of the shiny dragon. Matoath had turned to her, then informed T’mok that Seven would make a very good candidate indeed. So Seven was officially Searched, around the age of sixteen.
Candidacy was not so different from her Harpering duties, if more menial and less musical. Lessons, she enjoyed, if only because she was a diligent student. She knew most of the weyrborn candidates, and acquainted herself with the holders and the crafters as well. She did not lack for company nowadays, though she never felt especially close to anyone either.
Serapheth’s clutch broke the shell in autumn of 2766. Seven was not sure what to feel as the dragons emerged- they had been counselled not to show fear, but radiate welcoming positivity. Seven managed a smile, but it felt fake. Surely the dragons could see right through her- into that empty, cold, unfeeling heart? They had to know her emotions were an act, surely? Had Matoath been wrong? Had she been blinded by her own need to collect new riders under her wing? Seven squirmed on the hot sands, the smile fixed to her face. One egg, then two… the dragons were shadows dancing on the outskirts of her vision; Seven couldn’t bring herself to watch.
A gentle, teal muzzle solidified before her, pressing against her stomach. Nanakoth can feel your heart. There is love in there. A pause as the delightfully sweet voice found strength and shape within Seven’s mind. I am very hungry, SevenMine. Sister? Seven-sister?
“I…” Her own voice wobbled, and Seven found her knees could no longer hold her up. Collapsing, wrapping her arms around the dragon’s neck, Seven gave a singular choked gasp. “Nanakoth. Of course. Of course!” She should have known, should have trusted. All that warmth and love and light spread from her heart, through her body, a barrage of emotions accompanying the dizzying rush. Some of it was hunger, true enough, but a lot of it was what she had forgotten to feel; Nanakoth was unlocking it all with child-like tenderness. There was no grabbing or forcing- the green dragon’s mind slipped into her own, and together they faced the pain of loss in a single, eternal moment.
I won’t leave you, you know. I love you too much. The sweetly-uttered promise grew like a tree in Seven’s mind, protective and beautiful.
Weyrling training gave her a brand-new lease on life. Seven had gone into the Hatching thinking a dragon would never deem her worthy, but when Nanakoth was by her side, she felt like nothing was beyond her reach. The beautiful teal dragon buoyed her, encouraged her and brought her sunshine in the darkest of times. In return, Seven protected her, shielding her and teaching her. It was a partnership that blossomed and grew exponentially. The pair had their flaws- Seven struggling with memorising maps, formations and flight points, and Nana’s occasional withdrawal during rainy days- but they had the patience and fortitude to keep on trying and persevering through the obstacles. Seven had even managed to pluck up the courage and ask T’mok to be her mentor- Pern had no finer Greenrider anywhere, in her opinion.
And so lessons continue, Seven and Nana learning from others as well as each other.
