Tivaly

Tivaly
Portrayed By	Natalie Dormer
Gender	Female
Aliases	Tiv
Place of Birth	Harper Hall
Current Location	Igen Weyr
Occupation	Apprentice Harper

Description

With her pale, ash blonde hair and positively icy blue eyes, with her slender-but-not-skinny build at five and a half feet tall, there's little doubt that Tivaly is an attractive young woman; at sixteen Turns old, she's on the cusp of becoming a beautiful one. Her figure is slim without completely sacrificing curves, more soft lines than defined musculature, with an all-around fair complexion that goes hand-in-hand with the pale hair and eyes. Those eyes are easily the most striking feature of her heart-shaped face - wide-set and crisp, cold blue offset by dark lashes - though her slightly off-center lips with a tendency to pull into a crooked smile are similarly notable among her features. Frame her face with shoulder-length, pale blonde hair with a hint of curl to it, and there are all the primary elements that achieve an overall look of 'pretty with a few quirks that make her not quite gorgeous.' When she speaks, it's with a rich voice, deep for a woman's with the unaccented inflection common among those who have been Harper-trained.

Although dark in color, the soft cut of Tivaly's dress keeps it from being too formal for everyday wear. A navy-colored underdress with an oval neckline and an understated waistline is embellished by a sheer, black-lace overdress with lightly ruffled sleeves that reach her elbows. The lace itself is an elaborate, floral design with jet beadwork adornments, and she often pairs this with a warm, black wool coat when headed outside. Rather than dainty little shoes, she goes for more sturdy leather heels, black to match the gloves and scarf she'll don when needed.

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History

+ Endless Possibilities

They stand on the paving stones in the Harper Hall courtyard, the sound of a fountain bubbling, the distant sound of an apprentice learning a new tune, the smell of apple blossoms drifting in from the nearby orchard, the warmth of spring-becoming-summer lending brightness to her cheeks. This small, fair-haired child spins in delighted circles, eyes closed and arms outstretched, delighting in the simple joy of being young and alive and dancing to nothing and for no one. A darker-haired version of herself, several Turns older but still giddy with youth, sits on the edge of the fountain, dabbling her bare feet and ankles into the cool water. A boy - a brother, surely a brother - sits nearby, reading and eating an apple.

Then comes a cry of new delight: "Papa!"

Dizzy from her spins, the little child sprints in a drunkard's line toward the outstretched arms, and he lifts her off the ground, spinning her once more in a fast circle that ends with a tight hug. His child, his daughter, the light of his life. In this one, he sees himself reborn, one that will follow in his footsteps. There's music in her little voice and lightness in the way she runs through the world, and he invests in her all the hopes and dreams of a young and well-intending father.

Soon, he will be called away from the Hall again, given a new assignment, and he will take his family with him. They will see somewhere new, learn something new, and she will listen obediently, question everything, and merit his adoration in all things.

+ A Man of Conviction

"But I don't want to marry him!" comes the protest from downstairs. She can hear the rebellion in her sister's voice, and she secretly envies it. Here is Tivaly, curled up on her small bed in the loft, listening while her sister, brother, and parents think she is asleep. Soon, she will become an official apprentice, and she wants nothing - not even the possibility of being caught awake, eavesdropping - to ruin her chances.

"This is not about what you want. This is about what you will do for the good of your family," comes her father's calm, unfaltering response. He is always so unyielding, a trait that Tivaly finds admirable. Some call it stubborn, but she calls it conviction. Her father is a man of conviction.

"I will not."

"You will."

She will, Tivaly thinks to herself, rolling over and shutting her eyes, ignoring the rest of her sister's pointless protests. When Papa says something will happen, it happens.

+ Dearest Sister

My dear Tivaly,

I trust this letter finds you well. I apologize that it's been so long since I last wrote, but I imagine our father has told you what has been happening. I'm so sorry for everything, especially for how it's going to ruin everything for you.

But I love him so dearly that I can't imagine not being with him, and our baby is going to make everything worth it, I'm sure of it. He loves me, too, and he's so earnest and hard-working. We are getting married next week, and I wish desperately that it was possible for you to come to the wedding, though I don't suppose that's really possible, is it?

Our father is livid. He says that he won't let me see you or our mother ever again. Will you talk to him for me? Please?

I remain your dearest sister,
S.

+ A Blue Knot

It sits on the desk in front of her, looking crumpled and used. That shade of blue is singular, one that nearly every person in the world knows: Harper blue. She wishes she could snatch it back and put it on her shoulder once more, wear it with pride knowing that she would one day wear an even better one in the same color. But she can't do that, she can't even look at it, really.

She looks directly into the blue eyes so like her own, not Harper blue but ice blue, cold and clear and unapologetic. Dimly, she can hear the words he's saying, but they don't penetrate her mind, don't leave an imprint on her thoughts. She understands the refrain - You're doing the right thing. This is for the best. We appreciate your sacrifice. - but the words themselves don't mean anything. That knot is just lying there, right in her peripheral vision, right on the desk between the two of them.

She's aware that she's meant to say something, that a question has been poised, but she's not completely sure what the question is, so she nods faintly and says, "Of course, Papa."

+ Tell Me Your Wishes

Dear Father,

I have decided that I shall be staying at the Harper Hall after all. I apologize that this may make things difficult for your best-laid plans, but the Hall is amenable to my staying, and they are allowing me to accept a posting at Fort Weyr to further my studies.

Please know that I remain your loving if not dutiful daughter,
T.

+ Dinner and Dancing

My dear Mother,

What a tired daughter I am tonight! You were right about the Weyr: it is definitely a more active place than the Hall ever was. Perhaps it's only because I always lived there, and so I took everything (and everyone) there for granted, but it does feel like life moves at a faster pace here than it did there. And there are so many new people!

Please know that I'm heeding your warnings and minding myself especially well here at the Weyr. Certainly, I could see how a girl could have her head turned, but I remain your obediently cool and aloof daughter despite the best efforts of men and boys that I meet every day. Tonight, there was a fine party for the weyrlings, with everyone in their finery and lovely food and grand dancing, and I think I hardly had a moment to catch my breath between one dance and the next.

My feet are tired, and there's likely an unattractive sheen of sweat so that I need to bathe, but I feel exhilarated here in a way that I never did at the Hall. Dancing with the same, doughy, prim boys for fifteen Turns is hardly a thrill, and now I find myself the party wasn't over. Perhaps, in some metaphorical way, it never will be?

Please give my love to Father, and do share the letter with him if you think he'd like to hear it. I hope he'll eventually write to me, but I suppose that will have to come about in his own time.

All my love,
T.

+ No, Thank You

Did you ever have one of those moments that you wish you could take back? One of those times in your life when you realize, a second too late, that you might have made a mistake?

The thing is, Tivaly knows she can undo this mistake. She could simply find him, this brownrider, this G'zarm, and ask him… change it… but, with a frustrated exhalation, she knows she'll never be able to do that. It would be a blow to her pride, admitting that she'd made a mistake in the first place, admitting that she does actually want it, this opportunity. But it's so hard to go back.

When he said the words - "Would you like to be a Candidate?" - there was the fraction of a second when she thought, Yes! More than anything she'd ever considered doing in her life, this was an opportunity that Tivaly the Harper wanted. She wanted to put aside the precious blue knot of a Harper, the one that estranged her from the father that she obeyed unquestioningly for sixteen Turns, and take up the white cords of a Candidate. But then her racing heart skipped a beat: did she really throw away the tranquility of a dutiful daughter to risk it all on the gamble of dragon eggs?

She knew that the brownrider G'zarm was looking at her, waiting for an answer, his eyes full of the question he'd just asked. She knew that, nearby, his dragon was eager for her acceptance. She knew that, at Harper Hall, her father was doing his duties but - maybe, somewhere in the back of his mind - he might be sparing a thought for the child that had disobeyed him. She knew that, in her heart, she really did believe she was Tivaly the Harper, not Tivaly the dragonrider.

So she heard herself saying three little words: "No, thank you."

And there will be one less Candidate on the Sands of Fort Weyr this time, one less girl whose hopes are pinned on the shattered eggshells.

But there will be one more Harper. "Just what the world needs," she tells the inkpen in one hand before, resolutely, she bends back to the work before her. She made this Harper-shaped bed, after all.

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Family

Name	Relation	Location	Position
Marklim	Father	Harper Hall	Harper Master
Kandry	Mother	Harper Hall	Weaver Journeyman
Sabrine	Sister (+4)	Benden Region	Wife and Mother
Davmin	Brother (+2)	Telgar Region	Harper Journeyman

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Logs

You can also view Tivaly's logs (including non-Igen ones) at http://troutling.wikidot.com/tivalylogs.

This Month

Title	OOC Date	Cast	Synopsis

2014

Title	OOC Date	Cast	Synopsis
Wilting Harpers	September 16, 2014	Neyuni, Tivaly	It's a scorcher when Tivaly arrives at Igen and meets Weyrwoman Neyuni.
The view from up here.	September 23, 2014	R'en, Tivaly	A chance encounter on the Star Stones leads to talk of knots and their significance.
The Weyrleader's personal life.	September 29, 2014	R'en, Tivaly	Tivaly finds R'en sitting alone in the galleries and attempts to get all up in his business.
And a jazz quartet.	October 5, 2014	C'vryn, Tivaly	Tivaly and C'vryn enjoy some music in the Moonshine Gardens.
Working in the dark.	October 21, 2014	Quillan, Tivaly	With the power out at Igen, a Harper and a Miner briefly discuss the problem and its longevity.

2015

Title	OOC Date	Cast	Synopsis

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Gallery / Icons

Some icons courtesy of Hollow Art, created by heartheghosts_, little-luna, and me.

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