~ Username ~
I'm AprilShowers, current owner of three beautiful JBDs and determined to get the perfect fourth. :3
~ Name ~
This name was the hardest to come up with I swear I have ever faced. It included me, last night, sitting in bed with my wet hair up and my legs crossed, reading a little blue dictionary of obscure words and holding a highlighter. Three hours. Three. Freaking. Hours. I have to alleviate this by saying I love words--it wasn't such a tragedy to spend an evening with them. Still, it was quite an "Eureka!" moment when I finally found what I was looking for.
é·lan (-lä, -län)
n.
1. Enthusiastic vigor and liveliness.
2. Distinctive style or flair.
YES! A unique, distinctive name with a cultural edge and a bright, lively definition. The accent mark didn't hurt--I absolutely adore accent marks. Élan fits to both this dragon's sophistication and elegance, and her playful enthusiasm for life. I hope you agree that my searching was worth it--Élan fits this girl perfectly. She has very few nicknames, although some will call her Él (and her little sister, for unspecified reasons, calls her Pretzel).
~ Statistics ~
Élan is female, 14 in human years, the size of a shetland pony and 700lbs (quite normal for something of her height). Her birth date is April 21, making her a Taurus who fits the description quite well. Her birthstone is a diamond and her flower is a sweet pea. Her coloring is a warm, chocolatey brown, and she has dark blue eyes. Élan is in perfect health, although she is slightly underweight. She has curved back ear types and circular-swirled type tail. She is up do date on all medical care.
~ Personality ~
~ Bright ~
No matter what the situation, Élan seems to shine just a little bit brighter than the rest. She is smart and outspoken, and her inner personality isn't hidden from the world at large. Despite the fact that she may seem reserved at first, in actuality Élan has the not-so-hidden ability to light up whatever room she's in.
~ Intelligent ~
No matter how you look at it, Élan is just a bit smarter than your average dragon (or person, for that matter). Her brand of intelligence is of a creative, abstract consistency, and she excels in writing slightly more than math or science. However, she is overall very strong academically, and can hold her own in the more literal subjects as well.
~ Sarcastic ~
Élan has a bit of an edge, a bit of a witty, back-talking side to her that often shows up as sarcasm. Her dry sense of humor is often quite amusing, but people can't always tell when she's being serious. This has caused some mix-ups in the past, which means it might behoove her to decrease her levels of sarcasm just a little
~Cynical ~
Élan is a self-proclaimed pessimist. She looks at things in a "we're all gonna die" light, which gets annoying quite fast for others. But she can't help it and can't change it--her mind naturally jumps to the less positive, more sarcastic/cynical side of things.
~ Holding Grudges ~
She. Doesn't. Forget! Ever! Élan is the type who will hate someone for what they did for her five years ago, and still wince every time one of her young-childhood mistakes is brought up. This can be good sometimes, but more often it earns her some enemies.
~ Full of Integrity ~
Élan is one to say what she means and mean what she says. She thinks before speaking and never goes back on her word, NEVER. Her beliefs are set in stone, and she will go to any length to defend what she thinks is right. This makes her a loyal and valuable friend.
~ Intense ~
Élan doesn't let go of ideas, and once she sinks her teeth into something god save the people who get in her way. She's not backing down and not giving up and there's NOTHING you can do about it--her "finishing a project" mode is the one everybody knows to stay away from. When Él does something, she does it right.
~ Determined ~
This goes with intense--no matter what the topic, no matter what the location, Élan stands by her morals and holds her ground. She's stubborn, which can be both very good and very bad. But that's Él all over; there's no such thing as a maybe-kind-of-sorta. She's an all-or-nothing kind of girl.
~ Whimsical ~
Yes, it seems a slow and laid back adjective for the JBD that's been described so far, but Élan definitely has a whimsical side. She likes old-fashioned things, and enjoys to daydream in her free time (or math class). She has her own fantasy world that she can retreat to, and she likes things in the real universe that mimic that dream. She has a floaty, airy side that most people don't see, but it's as much a part of Élan as the outspoken, argumentative bits.
~ Funny ~
Élan has a wonderful, dry sense of humor that is often hilarious! She can deadpan very well, and her close friends know her for her funniness as much as her intelligence. She enjoys to laugh, and enjoys to make others laugh too.
~ Loving ~
All of Él's fierceness and one-mindedness can convert perfectly into protecting and being there for those she loves. Her sweeter side also shines through around her family and friends, and she will be loyal to them to no end. While Élan often has trouble expressing emotion, she really does love the people closest to her.
~ Independent ~
Élan likes to think of herself as independent, so that's why it gets put here. Nobody tell, but she really does need other people just like everyone else. Still, in her own mind (and many other people's views of her) Élan can fend for herself. She's the sort who doesn't need others to make her life complete--all she really needs is herself.
~ Artistic ~
This is Él's niche, the spot where she belongs in the world. Her artistic side is the side that is just a bit bigger than the rest, as it combines both her passion and her personality. She is very good at both writing and art, and (most of the time) knows it! Élan loves the arts. That's all that really needs to be said.
~ Dislikes ~
Throwing up
It's just disgusting! Élan's least favorite version of sickness...undignified and truly unpleasant.
Extreme heat
Élan is a "winter" type of person, and heat makes her severely unhappy.
Math
Ugh! You can sit there for hours scratching your head and getting upset with yourself and STILL not be anywhere! Math and Él just don't agree.
Crowds of People
Élan hates the feeling of being enclosed in groups of other dragons. It makes her feel claustrophobic and overwhelmed.
Heights
Irrational, yes. But Élan is scared of heights! They're just so darn...high.
~ Élan's Poem ~
Yes, I should start by saying that this was originally placed in the contest for JBD 200. But it never really fit that dragon's personality--I just wanted to add something to my form. It fits Él and I much better, so I feel justified in placing it in a competition for it's rightful dragon.
On the plains there is a line
Of green and blue
So crisp and fine
Where grass meets sky
And I've always thought
Of you and I
You so blue
Who will always fly
And me
Who will prefer to stay
Grounded
So I hope and pray
That on the plains there is a line
Elegant
Still crisp and fine
And that's our only special place
Where green and blue can still embrace
Where we idle 'way our days
In an eternal summer haze
Me and you
And you and I
Green and blue
And grass and sky
~ Él's Story (The History) ~
The day began very normally, which should have alerted me right away to the idea that something was wrong.
I NEVER have normal days. But up until it happened, that one was about as average as it got. I was living in Rakal City then, in a small flat in the heart of the action. We were right next to Amaril Park, and just a few blocks away from my school—it was small, but really a pretty nice place. I was living with three other JBDs: Cinnamon, Seven and Tanya. We weren’t in any way related, but had all found each other by necessity. Cinnamon and Seven met first, I think, when they were both living on the streets. They found Tanya abandoned at her preschool, and ran into me when my parents up and left without another word. I’m not sad I don’t have biological family members. I can’t imagine how boring life would be with actual GROWN UPS around.
Anyway, that day was pretty average considering my life. Seven made breakfast, and Tanya strapped on her fake fairy wings that she wore absolutely everywhere. Cinnamon collected everyone’s things, and we all set off to school. My day was fine, and it seemed like I shouldn’t have a care in the world.
It was around the time we got out to go home again that the clouds began collecting ominously over Rakal City. Seven squinted at the sun, trying to see how bad the storm was going to be. He shrugged, saying without words that he had no idea.
I could tell Cinnamon was scared without even looking at her. This unknown danger was just the kind of thing that terrified my big sister, and as we were especially close (two girls near in age), I could practically feel her fear. Seven, I wasn’t so sure about. He was good at keeping a calm composure, and as the “grown up” of our band he knew how to not let on much. Tanya, of course, didn’t know what was happening. She was still too little then to pick up on the danger we were in.
As for me, I didn’t know what to think. I trusted Cinnamon and Seven implicitly, and they didn’t seem to be freaked out yet. But those clouds gave me an odd feeling in the bottom of my gut, like something was terribly wrong.
The first crackle of thunder proved my gut accurate. Seven grabbed my paw and Cinnamon clutched at Tanya, and we ran for home as fast as we could possibly run. We made it to the door just as the rain started, and I breathed a sigh of releif. That relief came a little too soon.
Ten minutes later, it was evident that rain was going to be the least of our problems. Wind shook the building like it was made of matchsticks, and we all huddled together in the middle of the floor. It was freezing, but no one had the guts to stand up and get a blanket. Tanya was in tears, and Cinn was trying to comfort her. Seven and I just sat there, praying.
The storm probably only lasted two hours, but it felt like a lifetime. I had never been so scared before, and I probably haven’t since. Tanya fell asleep at one point, but the rest of us were wide awake and petrified. Even after the winds dropped back down we were too scared to move. Finally, Cinnamon got up and got some blankets. We slept right there that night, on the floor a full twenty feet from our warm beds.
The next morning we all felt a little braver. Seven suggested that we go out and see what had happened to the city, so we cleaned up a little and assembled by the door. I think Sev was the only one of us who had any idea of what our home would look like after such a disaster. Somewhere in my simplistic brain, I thought everything would be just fine. Of course, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
It was ruined. The whole city. Whole buildings had been blown over, and the trees covered the roads and the sun shone down over it all like nothing was wrong—I shuddered violently, and fell back against Cinnamon. She clutched my paw, as much for her comfort as my own. Seven nodded once, like he had expected this all along. “We should go find someone,” he said. “We should go find help.”
It was like walking through a ghost town—all this stuff I knew, but at the same time didn’t know at all. Even Tanya was perfectly silent as we made our way to the city hall. I assumed that was where we were going…where else was there?
When we got there (my assumption being correct) I breathed a sigh of relief. The building was still intact! Seven, looking just as happy as me, rushed up the steps and threw open the door without even knocking. Inside was one dragon, one lone JBD with white fur and glasses and a tired look on his face.
“Good!” he stuttered wheezily. “Someone is here. I was beginning to think there was no one left.”
“No, we’re alive sir,” said Seven. “But barely. What’s going to happen next?”
The man sighed, looking almost as old as father time himself. He had a nice face, like he truly believed in Rakal City. And this disaster had dashed his belief.
“We’re going to do our best to rebuild. This town isn’t the only one in the world, and I’ve heard news that the main government is already sending what help they can get. We’re not alone in this, son, and Rakal is going to pull through.”
I raised one eyebrow. “Won’t that be hard, sir?” He nodded, and I felt a flood of relief that I hadn’t offended the only JBD we could seem to find.
“It’ll be very hard. Saving our city is an uphill climb, and most people will probably leave. Not me. I think we can do this…are you with me?”
Seven looked at each one of us in turn, and I knew what he was thinking. Rakal City had given a chance to four orphans who wouldn’t have reached their third birthday anywhere else. It was our mother as much as anything else, and we couldn’t just leave it when things got rough.
Surprisingly, it was Tanya who spoke up. “Yes sir,” she said, rubbing blearily at one eye. “We’re gonna stay to help.”
That was when I knew that my life had just been changed forever. And that was when I grew up in a day.
~ Why I Want Élan and What I Will Do With Her
I feel in love with her the second I laid eyes on her, and it's really just that simple. Her design is simple and heartwarming, complex and intricate, strikingly beautiful. I was immediately drawn to those big azure eyes. But to go in a little more depth, I need to talk about what I have already been blessed with. Thanks to two amazing designers and kind judgers, I am already the proud owner of three JBDs, the same Tanya, Seven, and Cinnamon that were featured in my story. I loved them all individually, but they weren't unified at all. The three personalities didn't meet, didn't feel whole quite yet. When Hiccup announced we could each have four JBDs I was thrilled--I figured maybe breeding two of my dragons would round things out. Élan completely changed my mind. It wasn't another one of what I already had that I was missing--it was something new. It was me. All of my dragons have wonderful personalities, but none of them are anything like my own. Élan is the one that I can relate to, and it would mean so much to me to be able to own her. She completes my perfect quartet, makes random characters come together as a family. I love her for her personality and her complexity and how happy she makes me feel, and if I were to be honored with owning Él not a day would go by where I didn't do something new with her. I want to truly finish the story I typed above, I want to draw her with my other dragons, I want to put her in Chomp's adorable balloon lineart... I just want to own her! It would mean a lot to have a character like Él, and (given this) I hope you will consider granting me my giant wish.
