"Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see." Mark Twain
BASICS
NAME: Orist
GENDER: Male
PRONOUNS: he/him/his
ORIENTATION: Aromantic Asexual
BIRTHDATE: Winter 2742
AGE: 34 as of Spring 2777
LOCATION: Semaca Weyr
OCCUPATION: Whiterider
WING: Chopin Squad
APPEARANCE
EYES: Blue
HAIR: Black
HEIGHT AND BUILD: 6'10" and Thin
PLAY-BY: Picrew.me
FULL APPEARANCE:
Orist is a tall, gangling sort of man. He is notably thin with limbs that look like they might be too long for his body. Whether he simply never grew into them or this is an illusion cast by his weight it is difficult to tell. But he definitely looks awkward at first glance. He can usually be found standing like he's trying to withdraw into himself, shoulders hunched to make him shorter and hands tucked close to his sides. Clearly this is someone who doesn't want to be noticed, even if he can't exactly help it.
His hair is a messy black mop on his head, with a loose braid in the back to keep the longer of it contained. He doesn't like people touching his hair, so it's rare to find him freshly-trimmed unless he does it himself. His eyes are a darker blue but somewhat striking. Clothing-wise, he opts for plain colours that don't stick out.
PERSONALITY
PERSONALITY:
Orist is quiet, to the point of seeming cold, but this reflects insecurity rather than pride. Used to thinking of himself as the lowest on the Benden totem pole, Orist is truly at ease only around Garnets, uniques, and mutations, and his fellow whiteriders. He's mildly anxious most of the time when interacting with others, always fidgeting with his hands, and is most comfortable overall when simply left to his own devices. His few Turns at Semaca have opened him up somewhat, although he remains overly eager to please and struggles to speak to bronzeriders as equals. He still has a strong desire to be needed, but more in a "wishes to be useful" way than seeking "a reason to be kept around." He's a bit of a pushover, easily coerced into things, and has a very meek personality overall, even before his time at Benden.
Orist is gentle and caring, soft-spoken and warm-hearted, and loves interacting with younger members of the Weyr, from dragons, whers, and firelizards, to humans and animals. He's admittedly still rather spineless and cowardly, rarely, if ever, standing up for himself or others, more likely to just stand by and let something happen rather than fight for or against it. He likes soft things like fabrics and music and singing but dislikes sad songs or tales, believing the world has too much sadness in it already to hear more. Orist would like to learn how to play a string instrument, but is too bashful to ask to be taught.
HISTORY
FAMILY: N/A
SIGNIFICANT OTHER: (optional)
BIRTHPLACE: Telgar Cothold
HISTORY: Warning: Mentions of Abuse
Born in a Telgar Cothold, Orist was the only child of a pair of beast-farmers. He didn't have a very eventful childhood, raised alone with his parents, he had no siblings and didn't get into much trouble as a child. He was Searched at fifteen to Telgar, transferring at sixteen to Benden for a clutch. Instead of transferring back after the fact, he was kept on by the more traditional Weyr, unwittingly coerced (guilted) by "friends" into staying on at Benden.
At seventeen (2760) he would Impress--though not to a bronze or a brown as everyone had been assuring him. Not even a blue, which would have been perfectly fine, or a green. He wouldn't have minded being beneath the metallics or browns. Instead, he was bonded to... a white. Now, White dragons weren't bad in his book, having spent time at Telgar he didn't understand Benden's disdain for them. Not initially, at least. But through Weyrling training, he was subject to snide looks and sneers from Benden's other riders, reminded of how strange and useless his dragon, and by extention he, was. He was only good for serving the higher colours, far below even greens and blues. He took the brunt of verbal and sometimes, though less frequently, even physical abuse for any action viewed as a transgression, until the first Garnets began appearing a Turn later (2761). Then, Garnets were added to the "strange and unusual" pile, below him and his white, lumped in with the very rare unique dragons and chimeras. By then, the damage had been done and Orist had been molded into a subservient rider, fearful of those ranking above him.
When Alayna and Wyzeth disappeared shortly before graduation, Orist tried to find out what happened, though there was no information he could glean as a whiterider. He was told she transferred, and while he didn't particularly believe them, he couldn't argue it.
In 2764, Benden riders attacked Fort Weyr during a touching, kidnapping two riders. Orist was not among them, but heard about it from the others at the Weyr. He was horrified by what they had done, but felt he could do nothing to help the kidnapped riders. Not long after, they were threatening to execute one of them--again, Orist could do nothing but watch as those above him did as they pleased. When eggs started disappearing from the sands in 2765, he wondered for their whereabouts, but privately was glad to know they had been freed from Benden's tyranny. He was most of all horrified to find out that Alayna was still alive and had been kept drugged, stashed away in Benden where no one could find and help her.
Benden finally faced repercussions for their actions in 2767, after Alayna spoke about her experiences.
Despite the handful of changes in the Weyr, it wasn't until a few Turns later, in 2769, that Orist was "freed" from his subservient position: finally gathering up the courage to transfer to Semaca. He helps to rebuild the budding Weyr after the flooding, and slowly begins to heal from his past at a Weyr that doesn't view the colour hierarchy as all-encompassing.
