"lyrics or quotes here"
BASICS
NAME: Z'relli; Zefferelli, accepts Zeff as a nickname
GENDER: Masculine
PRONOUNS: Masculine (he/him/his)
ORIENTATION: Gay
BIRTHDATE: Winter 2740
AGE: 35 as of Late Spring 2775
LOCATION: Semaca Weyr
OCCUPATION: Apprentice Harper, Wingrider
WING: Minuet
APPEARANCE
EYES: Brown
HAIR: Brown
HEIGHT AND BUILD: 5' 8"
PLAY-BY: Jason Brown
EXPY SOURCE: N/A
FULL APPEARANCE:
Z’relli is both a bit lighter and shorter than average for his assigned sex, at 5’ 8” in height and almost dainty in his features. Said features include tanned skin, wildly curly brown hair, and bold brown eyes. Regarding his wardrobe, he’s often seen in clothing that’s more functional than fashionable, often defaulting to his riding leathers, but even Z'relli can’t resist being a bit flashy once in a while. As a nod to his beloved dragon, he usually has his apparel for such special occasions tailored in shades of pale green nearing white.
PERSONALITY
PERSONALITY:
After Turns of life on his own terms, Z'relli is more than a product of his upbringing. Though he stills maintains a somewhat Traditional mindset, adapting to life in Semaca has left a noticeable impact on his demeanor and conduct. More confident and outgoing than he'd ever been in his childhood, he doesn't hesitate to offer help to those that appear to need it. But despite his newfound conviction, Z'relli is still quite reserved and doesn't often go out of his way to initiate relations other than in a professional setting, often too shy to say more than "hello" otherwise. Even to his closest friends, Z'relli isn't terribly outgoing and exuberant, but still a loyal and considerate friend. Always putting others needs before his own, he's deeply kind and generous, though it can be hard to see in how he demonstrates it. Unless it's for a good cause, in his duty as a dragonrider, or to stand up for someone else, Z'relli would rather keep his thoughts and opinions to himself than start an argument for no good reason; he sees no need get someone's feathers ruffled for a disagreement in views.
As strong as he can appear, Z'relli often has a habit of second-guessing himself. On a deep level, he's rather insecure, something he still carries from a childhood of great expectations being placed on shoulders too young. Did he do everything he could? Did he do everything right? Who did he let down? But he pushes himself to excel at every undertaking, giving his all as he was taught to try to adapt to his shortcomings. As much as he tries to hide his flaws and appear perfect, his true nature shows most often as he tries to act quickly under pressure, constantly questioning himself. Often making gross errors in judgement as a result of his second-guessing, one of his worst fears is someone realizing how poor he is at tasks most find easy. Duty to Pern and following Tradition were what Z'relli was taught was most important, something that's still deeply ingrained in his everyday life. An individual matters for what they contribute to society, which has expressed in Z'relli by being selfless and willing to make extraordinary sacrifice for Weyr and Hold, brave against Thread and dutiful to a fault. Though breaks from Tradition happen on what feels like a weekly basis, he does his best to take it in stride and not let it trouble him.
HISTORY
FAMILY:
Parents - Journeyman Harpers - both living (estranged)
Siblings/Half-Siblings - two, both younger - living (open ties!)
SIGNIFICANT OTHER: None at present!
BIRTHPLACE: Nerat Hold
HISTORY: TW: inferiority/insecurity, estrangement
Zefferelli had a simple beginning to life, being born to Harpers in Nerat Hold. In addition, his life was set before him in straightforward terms: he was to follow his parents and be a Harper, in service to Pern and her citizens. It was a path Zeff was more than willing to follow. Studying hard throughout his early Turns, he entered Apprenticeship as soon as he was old enough to do so, learning his history and instruments as every young Harperling should. As a token of pride for this first major achievement, Zeff was presented a gift from his parents: a firelizard egg, from which hatched a green, who he named Riverdance. As Turns passed, things were falling into place as expected for him; it was expected he would graduate to Journeyman rank and start practicing elsewhere very soon.
But duty called in other ways. A pair on Search from Benden made landing at Nerat, staying until stars twinkled above before something drew them to Nerat's Harperhall. Much to his shock and astonishment, Zeff found himself selected by this visitor and brought before his dragon, who soundly confirmed his decision: Zefferelli was his Candidate of choice. In a state of disbelief and wonder, Zeff reported this to his parents, who instructed him to accept; it would be incredibly dishonorable to them for him to refuse this call to his new duty, and Benden Weyr would always be in need of skilled Harpers to carry on ancient traditions in epic ballads and songs. Before he knew it, Zeff's life had set course on a new path: Impressing a dragon and fighting Thread under Benden.
At age nineteen Turns, Zefferelli found himself plunged into a whole new world: Candidacy. It was quite an adjustment, but he soon adapted and found his footing among Benden's other Candidates. Though what friends he made were few and faw between, he had strong bonds to them, that lasted all through his tenure of Candidacy at Benden until his departure. Standing for clutch after clutch, he was left behind again and again, much to his lasting disappointment. Writing to his parents, he couldn't help but think how deeply he was failing them, bringing them shame even from so far away. At last, he decided he'd try his luck elsewhere. Semaca was a Weyr newly-fledged, eager to welcome every Candidate who'd appear before them; at Semaca, perhaps his competition would be sparser and his fortunes would improve.
Semaca's strange and outlandish environment was like a splash of cold water for Zefferelli. Left and right, he was shocked and astounded by what he saw and heard, and it started at Candidates being allowed to Stand until thirty. At twenty-three Turns, aging out of Candidacy was beginning to be a more than a minor concern for Zeff, but that didn't mean he was comfortable abiding by this new and looser age limit. Writing to his parents to express his worry and confusion about this young Weyr and its guidelines, he wasn't terribly surprised as they suggested and later insisted he return to Benden and try his last couple Turns of Candidacy in a more reasonable Weyr. But for once, Zeff stepped up and said he'd give Semaca a chance before being so hasty in writing them off, which is where a deep schism began in Zeff's bond to his parents that lasts to this day.
Three Turns passed in that more than familiar feeling: failure. Passed up again and again, Zefferelli wondered if that Searching dragon from so long ago was actually right in his decision. Letters to his parents continued, but something had long since changed between them; correspondence was less of a conversation and more of an argument each time. But in so doing, this distance from his parents allowed Zeff to see what his new world was like. It took time, but he slowly took Semaca's ways as commonplace, adapting to and accepting them, in addition to what he knew beforehand. Finding friends was less a struggle than he'd ever had before, much to his surprise, but even these newfound bonds couldn't do much to ease what sting he felt at being left Standing again and again. Typical.
But unbeknownst to him, Zefferelli's time had come. In his twenty-sixth Turn, a green emerged from her egg and looked about, searching for her bonded. Imagine Zeff's surprise upon seeing her approach him and sit at his feet, almost hesitant in pressing forth in her bond to him. Enulath was a gift like no other, something Z'relli realized even as he struggled to accept her being green; he'd always been expected to Impress brown or even a blue, not a green. But even as what he'd always been taught to believe crashed upon him like a tidal wave, Enulath was there to bring forth calm waters. It was soon evident to him that he needed her as much as she needed him. It didn't take long after that for them to grow inseparable, a strong affection between both blooming in those next few sevendays following Enulath's hatching.
In what would be a letter that broke his relationship to his parents at last, Z'relli wrote to inform them of his success and Enulath's wonderful nature. But while they wrote congratulations in a rather delayed letter in return, they couldn't help but comment on Enulath's color; while a green wasn't something unusual, it wasn't what they'd hoped for him. It wasn't long afterwards that correspondence between them stopped completely, instigated on Z'relli's part; if his parents didn't approve of Semaca Weyr or his Enulath, that wasn't his problem. After that, Z'relli could focus wholeheartedly on weyrlinghood, a milestone which he and Enulath later passed, graduating into Minuet. It was hard, seeing as Semaca still had a long road ahead to growing into a fully-manned and well-maintained Weyr, but Z'relli had never been afraid of hard work.
But what Z'relli was afraid of was losing faith in everything he thought was right in his life. Benden Weyr had held a gold and her bonded in unwilling captivity where most everyone, himself included, had believed they'd transferred to a different Weyr and hadn't contacted Benden again. But after Alayna and Wyzeth fled to Fort and later Semaca, Z'relli saw them for himself and made his own conclusion: Alayna lied before a gathered Conclave for her own intents and purposes or for someone else's, which saw Benden placed under heavy sanctions. Why Alayna did as she did was beyond Z'relli, but Benden faced disgrace and scorn as a result. Though difficult to get him to admit it, a part of him could never forgive her for such treachery, no matter what she did or didn't go through at Benden's hands.
Today sees Z'relli keeping to himself and those he calls friends, Enulath a constant companion. As relations between Semaca and neighboring pirates strengthen, so much as to allow pirates to Stand as Candidates, he's more than happy to do his part as a member of Semaca Weyr...even as doubt weighs heavy on his mind. News from across a vast ocean brings even more strange tidings. Golds Impressing to men, an egg theft resolved at last, and more criminals and cast-offs from Northern Weyrs being sent to Semaca's squad for those less-than-trustworthy, Lamentoso. Z'relli can't help but do his best to keep an open mind, even as he worries for what might lie ahead for Semaca Weyr.
