image made with Portrait Workshop

STATS
Name: Esther
Age: 26
Gender: Female
Species: Elf

Description: Esther has bright red hair that one can notice from across the room. Her pointed ears betray her elf heritage. Esther has a straight nose that, full lips and striking green eyes. True to her heritage she likes wearing flowing, natural garments. 
Personality: Esther is a dutiful woman but she isn't afraid to question why some things are done or required. Rules should be adjusted with the changing of times. She is diligent as an ethicist, philosopher and moralist. She often takes her work home with her.
Social Circle: Esther has few contacts outside from her work and family. She is in a relationship with Erwin. In her family she is closest to her aunt who doted on her as a child. 
Short Bio: Esther grew up in a privileged family with a father and mother who valued academics. They both had their own fields of study, influencing Esther to also look for a job in the academic world. At work she met Erwin and though they were rivals at first, they've come to enjoy sparring. 

2. THE CHECKERBOARD BALL
They'd arrived pretty early in the night, long before most other groups since their connection to the Healing Den was so strong. Even though few other clutches had evidence that they were hatched, a bunch of those sleek arm-winged ones with tuxedo-styled markings were already wandering the floor. Some carried trays around their neck on harnesses, others picked up items in their mouths and led groups using ribbons or flags to guide them. One of them, however, snuck up around the dance troupe and nudged Esther aside. She was concerned: they needed to be together to do their formal dancing!
"Psst"
It was hard to miss the source of that hissing sound. Esther finally stopped trying to reach her friends, and looked at the host dragon. "What is it?"
"I was told to give you this," they said, and then... the dragon... licked her shoulder. Sloppy, slobbery! Ew! Esther recoiled slightly but the dragon wasn't done yet. Using its forepaw it slapped that area and held on to her until it seemed satisfied. Then it stuffed a little envelope into her pocket. When it was finally done, the little usher slipped back away into the crowd and pretended like nothing weird had happened at all.
Esther saw what looked like a small image on her shoulder, though she didn't seem very interested or even compelled to touch it - it was still moist. A white pawn, not very bright though. Hm. Well, she'd wonder at this later. Maybe everyone got one. A temporary tattoo might be like a silly headband or ugly glasses to ring in the new year.

***

It wasn't until nearly midnight, after a long long night of dancing and drinking, socializing with people that sometimes defied description... That something tingled on her arm. That weird little temporary tattoo was glittering in a checkerboard pattern, it must have been magical! But why? She saw a couple of them on other people entirely at random during the evening's activities, some in the casino and a couple at the big banquet tables. But... what did it mean?
"It means I chose you! My Paradise is small and kinda... shabby, so I might stay outside with you while it recharges."
Esther looked at the dark blue eyes staring at her quite closely. Right over her shoulder, the one that itched.
"You - you chose me, you mean..."
"Yup! I'm yours! To keep! Even if that tattoo's gonna need to be reapplied once in a while, otherwise I can't get back into my paradise!" 
Esther took a look at it - over the course of the evening that lick-and-spit tattoo had sort of peeled around the edges, worn off while dancing or waving her arms around. She then remembered the little envelope, pulling it out she discovered it had quite a few copies of that design, they'd be able to reaffix it with careful planning, for years and years to come it looked like. (Though maybe... there might be some other way to do it... magic? More of it?)
"Perhaps we'll find a better place for it, that won't get so worn off," Esther promised the dragon. "Do you have a name?"
"Celustash!" the dragonet chipperly exclaimed. "I'm not as big as them," it pointed out a much brighter dragon that stood by their bond, edging toward the dance floor, and indeed it was half again bigger than this one.
"That's fine, you'll be able to fit where I go."

STATS
Name: Celustash (SELL oo stash)
Gender: Neuter (Knock-off)
Size: 4' s/l/ws
Build: sleek horsey
Physical Features: Tattoo/Kijana mutt, four legs, two wings with feathers and membranes, head has small horns and external ears, pupiled eyes, lots of sparkly floof, paw pads and claw feet, long tail with feathers, orb with magic; requirement of being tattooed (or... temporary tattooed)
Colours: White Pawn 8, a medium grey shade that's pretty shiny, dark floof and primary feathering, sparkly white wing leading edge feathers, and checkerboard pattern on wing webbing; dark blue eyes
Stats: Strength 5, Speed 3, Endurance 1, Agility 3, Health 3, Intelligence 3 
Abilities: 
     * Telepathy (5)
     * Verbal speech (5)
     * Magic sense (5)
     * Paradise creation (3)
     * Very modest versions of light breath and divination (1)
Parents: donor clutch Sta Turun + Shiyo
Bond: Esther, Voluntary choice of Bond using tattoo
Future: Esther will probably contemplate just getting a permanent tattoo but somehow Celustash seems to prefer the licking version.

[Back to Main Story]
[ALIDA] [ARMAND] [ESTHER] [ERWIN]
[IMKE] [ISIDOOR] [ODETTE] [OSWALD] [ULE] [URBAIN]

Lantessama Isle
Bonded at the New Years Eve Checkerboard Ball