“When people say impossible, they usually mean improbable.”
- Leigh Bardugo, Seige and Storm
BASICS
NAME: Delano
GENDER: Male
PRONOUNS: he/him/his
ORIENTATION: Biromantic Bisexual
BIRTHDATE: Spring 2753
AGE: 19
LOCATION: High Reaches Weyr
OCCUPATION: Weyrling
WING: N/A
APPEARANCE
EYES: Brown
HAIR: Black, tightly-coiled curls
HEIGHT AND BUILD: 6'4", slim
PLAY-BY: Kit Young
FULL APPEARANCE: Delano is seemingly all arms and legs, a tall, dark skinned, gangly man who simultaneously seems graceful and yet entirely unaware of himself. He is incapable of sitting still, always having a foot tapping or his hands busy with some trinket if he is forced to remain in one place for long. This long-limbed swagger has served him well on the fishing ships he grew up working on, where he was always able to stay one step ahead on the uneven footing.
His dark brown eyes are constantly sparkling with laughter, and his lips naturally rest in a slight upward curve, giving the impression that he is always in on the joke. His face is framed by a strong jaw line and thick, tightly coiled hair that he he keeps cropped relatively short.
PERSONALITY
PERSONALITY: If he'd ever gotten the chance, Delano would likely have made an excellent Harper. The young man is a fast and smooth talker, spinning stories from thin air and easily reeling others in. He seemingly can't help but be outgoing, attempting to strike up conversation with any random stranger and is eager to get to know others. His interest may read as insincere to some, but rest assured that Delano is absolutely sincere in his desire to know all about your life story. Just understand that come tomorrow, he will be equally sincere in his complete lack of recognition. Delano prefers to live in the moment, making the decisions that feel right to him right now without thinking about what that might mean in the future. As such, he can easily get himself into trouble with others, and it isn't unusual for Delano to be avoiding someone at any given point in time.
It likely doesn't help his reputation that he's a bit of a thrill-seeker to boot. Having grown up learning to fish in his coastal cothold, Delano has survived enough nasty winter storms to have come to find excitement in the possibility of each day being his last. He isn't one to say no to a challenge, and will go so far as to provoke others into creating one if one can't be readily found. He has been crafty (and lucky) enough to come out ahead most of the time, both a blessing and a curse. The fact that the young man has yet to suffer any severe consequences of his adventurous ways has only emboldened him into cocky arrogance.
For all that the man is flighty, he can make a surprisingly good friend. Or, at least good-intentioned friend. Delano doesn't always get it right, but his sincerity in wanting to please those he cares about shines through in his actions regardless. He'll be the first to have your back in a fight, and your number one hype man - though you may end up wishing he wasn't as he has a tendency to inadvertently become the center of attention. Still, he does mean well.
HISTORY
FAMILY: Ellinoe (mother), Dorell (father)
SIGNIFICANT OTHER: N/A
BIRTHPLACE: Minor Sea Hold
HISTORY: To hear Delano tell of his childhood, one would believe that he was still alive due only to an obscene amount of luck. His childhood tales are full of near-death encounters and close calls, starting with his birth when his mother supposedly went in to labor on a fishing boat in the midst of a surprise threadfall. The truth is far more mundane. Delano was born on a fishing boat but there was no threadfall and the whole event was rather uneventful if you don't count being born in a boat eventful; in fact, thread wouldn't fall for another two turns after his birth. Similarly, while he had his share of risky childhood experiences, he was rarely ever in any actual lasting danger. He certainly broke plenty of bones climbing about seaside cliffs and his hands bare their fair share of scars from a slipped fishing knife, but life near the sea was hardly considered low-risk and Delano's experiences were hardly out of the ordinary.
With every able body needed in order to ensure the survival of the hold, Delano naturally began to learn his way about a boat at an early age. For all that he had an adventurer's heart and yearned to seek apprenticeship, his duty and love for his family kept him anchored to his hold. He kept himself busy enough, working the boats by day and seeking out whatever thrills he could find with his peers each evening. The arrival of the High Reaches Search dragon and rider to his hold, and the subsequent discovery that he was considered candidate material opened up a whole new world of possibility for Delano. With a promise to his family that he would of course return should he not succeed at Impression at the next hatching, Delano was off to High Reaches with hardly a second glance back.
