Username:
~Mango~
JBD Name:
Ceres
Name's Meaning:
Ceres, also known as Demeter, was the Roman Goddess of plant-life and agriculture. She brought plants and greenery to the earth. However, when her daughter Persephone was captured by Hades, God of the Underworld, she let the earth go barren. Zeus, the king of the gods, managed to convince Hades to allow Persephone to live with her mother for half the year. This is during the spring and summer months. However, come fall and winter, Persephone must return to Hades. During this time, Demeter lets the plants die and the earth become barren out of grief.
JBD Gender:
Female
JBD Personality:
Ceres is a gentle-hearted JBD who cares about the well-being of others. She fells at one with nature, and often likes to retreat to calm and soothing locations. Ceres is not one for running about or causing mischief, but she does have a sense of humor. Her jokes are clever and witty, and she often contemplates what she says for long periods of time. Ceres is very smart and a good problem-solver. However, she is a bit of a perfectionist, and doesn't like to do something if she can't do it perfectly. She is a positive thinker for the most part, except during the colder seasons. Ceres never goes far without her friend Apollo (See history/Story), and when he leaves, she becomes depressed.
Ceres is a fairly quiet JBD, and rarely talks to anyone. She doesn't trust many creatures, and keeps all her secrets deep inside her. Ceres is an honest JBD, and has never told a lie. She can also tell when others are lying quite easily, which is the main reason she isn't very trusting. Ceres doesn't have many friends or acquaintances, but those she knows she keeps close. Ceres is not soft-bellied coward. She can be fierce when she needs to, and isn't afraid of much of anything. For this, people respect her.
History/Story:
When Ceres was just a young JBD, she was abandoned by her parents. (Oh noez, not another orphan story!) She never really got to know them, and rarely dwelled on the loss. She knew that doing so would only make her go mad with depression. Ceres was fairly independent, which is an immensely important trait for one who is living by themselves. She found a small cave in a cliff-face, and quickly settled down. There was a berry patch beside the entrance that she ate her fill from. A stray bug here and there also found their way into her diet. Ceres gathered moss and feathers for bedding in her cave, as well as a few flowers to brighten the place up. For many months, Ceres survived. She didn't have much of a life, and got bored often. There was little to do other than eat and sleep, since chasing butterflies seemed much to juvenile to entertain her.
One bright morning, as the winter snow was melting from the ground, birdsong filled the air. Ceres shook herself and stepped out of her cave. The cold, hard winter had passed, and Ceres had been thankful to find that her berry patch was able to withstand the winter's cold. She shook the dew from her pelt and went to collect breakfast. Resting on the bush was a beautiful Cardinal. His bright red feathers stood out against with dark green leaves. He watched Ceres intently as she picked some berries with her teeth and ate them. She glanced at the bird, but mostly ignored him. Birds were fairly common, especially now that they had begun migrating back.
On her way back to the cave, however, the Cardinal flew from her position to follow Ceres from the air. She looked up curiously, but the bird seemed determined to fly right above her. Ceres picked up her pace, not wanting to be the target of a birdy bomb. The Cardinal also picked up speed. Blinking, Ceres skid to a stop. The bird turned and began circling overhead. A little startled, she hurried to her cave.
Ceres stepped inside, relieved. There was no way that silly bird would follow her now. But, as she turned back to the entrance of the cave, she saw a flash of read feathers and a loud bird caw. The Cardinal landed beside the cave, flapping its wings. Ceres let out a small growl to scare the bird away, but it refused to budge. Annoyed, Ceres turned and plopped down in her nest. She turned her back to the bird, willing it to go away.
Suddenly something fell on Ceres. She jumped, startled, and looked at her shoulder. The bird was sitting there, its head cocked and its eyes round with curiosity. Ceres sighed and shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. This bird was persistent, and clearly wanted to get to know her. He had probably never seen such a creature before.
Ceres stared at the bird for a few more minutes, studying it. He was fairly large for his kind, and also unusually bold. He was beginning to grow on her, and she wondered if he could provide an answer for the long days of boredom. She had never really had a friend before, but the idea of one sounded appealing. A bird would certainly be less annoying than those of her own kind? Still, she wanted to be reassured that there were others like her out there somewhere. For know, though, she would take what she had.
Yawning, Ceres decided to take a nap. The bird remained on her shoulder until she woke up, at which point it fluttered around the cave to work off energy. Ceres watched the bird with mild interest, deciding it needed a name. She had no idea if birds gave themselves names, or if they could communicate with each other in a language equally complex to her own.
"I will call you... Apollo." she stated, giving a curt nod. The bird didn't seem to notice her, or didn't understand what she was saying. That was to be expected. They would have to communicate using body language and various motions and looks. Gestures that were universal among all species.
As the seasons passed, Apollo and Ceres grew closer and closer together. She would feed him and let him stay at her home, while he would provide her with companionship she did not have before. Ceres would spend the long days talking quietly to Apollo, and though he could not understand her, she knew he was listening.
When the leaves began to drop from the trees and the air grew chilly, Apollo began to behave strangely. Ceres realized that it was time for his migration. She didn't want him to leave, and knew the chances of them meeting again in the spring were slim. However, she bid him goodbye with a tear in her eye, and watched him fly into the distance, cawing loudly all the way.
Ceres returned to her cave, a gentle depression blanketing her. Already she missed her friend, and he had been gone less then a minute. Sighing, she curled into her nest and slept.
The fall and winter passed slowly. Each day was long and agonizingly dull. She could not keep Apollo out of her mind, and always looked above her head expecting to see him happily fluttering overhead. Ceres grew sadder and more lonely with each passing day.
At last, on a clear morning when the snow had begun to melt, Ceres dragged herself out of bed. Her limbs ached from the cold, and her heart was heavy. She stepped outside, and made her way to the berry patch. There was no red bird sitting on its leaves. No red bird circled overhead as she trudged home. No read bird sitting by the entrance to greet her. No red bird fluttering about her cave. Ceres sighed and went to bed.
When Ceres woke up, she noticed something red in the corner of her eye. A sudden excitement filled her as she turned to see... a red flower that had drifted into her cave. She blinked. It had not been there before, but she was not happy to see it. The flower had filled her with a false hope. False joy. As she reached over to swat it with her paw, a piercing caw filled the air.
There was Apollo, sitting at the entrance of her den with a flower in his beak. He set it down and took off. When he returned with yet another blossom, Ceres ran over to him. He leaped onto her shoulder, and together they sat, watching the new buds opening in the morning sun.
Spring. Ah, sweet, sweet spring. You have brought me my Apollo, you have brought me new hope. She smiled as the warm sun touched her face. Today was her favorite day of the year. The day that Apollo returned, and the day that new life was born.
Why I really want Ceres:
Ceres will be my first JBD. She has an amazing design, and I absolutely love it! The wing on her side reminds me of Apollo. <3 It was really fun to write her story, and if I win her, I will continue to develop her story. She's amazing! <3