Ruffrunner

Ruffrunner
she / them • maid / collagist / thief • demi
belongs to radar, please don't steal.
adopted from indigoxfathom's adoption center.
Ruffrunner 	Ruffrunner
 	
Art By 	radar
Background Information	Background Information
Creator 	radar
Attribute 	slyness, concern, repressed, jealousy, desire to learn
Element 	gold, leaky pipes, fresh towels, tiger pelts, high-class hotels
Animal 	rattlesnakes, tigers, leopards
Color 	light brown, tan, peach, coral orange
Song 	
Character Information 	Character Information
Age 	21 (hy)
Gender 	demigirl
Orientation 	panromantic demisexual
Occupation 	thief, hotel attendant, collagist
Tribe 	skywing
Goal 	help their mother pay the bills, get back at those snobs
Nicknames 	trailblazer (real name), darling (crystal), dearie (mother)
Residence 	radiance
Allies 	mother, parsnip
Enemies 	crystal, amelda, most colleagues
Likes 	mints, spaghetti, warmth, family support, art, money
Dislikes 	getting caught, pain, the snobby, confrontation
Powers 	pretty good thieving skills, silver tongue
Lovers 	n / a
Quote 	wonder who will be laughing next when those snobs find out who the real genius is.
Appearance
Tan and peach with a snake-like neck and light brown stripes going down their body like well-earned scars. Their eyes, glittering with multiple shades of green, with the darkest around their pupils. Dark brown spines that vary in length go down their back. Uneasy paint strokes of red can be seen faintly across these said spines. In addition to their short, curved horns that come off from the back of their head. While most of their scales are covered in an orange-tan, highlights of peach fade in and out. Though it's most noticeable on their cheeks, as though they are blushing.
The brown stripes frequently run down their back, similar to seaweed swaying in the ocean with fine tips. These dapple the bridge of their snout, caress the top of their head, and eagerly follow down their back. Ruffrunner's most distinctive features other than their blush is the thick stripe underneath their eyes. Curving perfectly to match with their oval shaped eyes. From their muzzle and the tip of their ears comes a darker brown than that of their spikes. The lighter they go out from the edge, not spreading too far.
A small, monotone frown shows on their face and two small teeth protrude from the top of their mouth. These were originally white, but are starting to yellow. Contrasting from the tan and peach of their main scales is the bleach white of their underbelly. Though small hints of yellow are just barely visible. Their build is tall and rather petite, with only a few limbs showing a bit of plumpness. Most noticeably on their legs, neck, and cheeks. Ruffrunner's wings don't take up too much space and are more often than not neatly folded to their sides. The SkyWing holds themself with a large amount of pride, shoulders back and head high.
The membranes of their wings are a rather saturated sandy tan color with flecks of gold near the tips. It's quite noticeable that the tips of their wings have a more burnt coloration that fades nicely into the main colors. They're often seen wearing a medium-sized satchel around their chest carrying an assortment of items. Mostly cleaning supplies, however there is some spare change at the bottom, out of sight of a watchful eye. In addition, they wear the hotel employee's signature uniform, a tight-knit tuxedo and a golden trim tie.
Personality
Cold, deceitful, and sly. While not filling those three bins entirely, that is a rather prominent side of them, with the added sweetness of creativity and a desire to learn. They display a major dislike towards those who are richer than them by a long shot, considering these said dragons to be snobs. This most likely being because of how said “snobs” treat their mother and how they don't have to face any of the hardships Ruffrunner and their mother do. Even then, they still are just barely willing to work for them, but can show slight signs of irritation in their body language. Mostly that of a thrashing tail, much like that of an upset cat.
What they pride themself for is their renowned silver tongue, they have a way with words despite not socializing with others that often. Gained from their school mostly, and practiced on dragons they despise. They know well how to get away with lying and because of that they have a sharp memory, so as to not accidentally say contradictory things. This ability is put to work when at their job, in addition to their decent thieving skills learned from their mother. They've learned how to steal just the right amount of money from dragons' rooms to not be suspicious. How to not attract unwanted attention when taking food from the kitchen.
All of this thieving isn't done for selfish gain, rather it is to help support their mother pay the bills. To help her get back on her feet and to get back at all those snobs who think they can walk all over them and their family. Even despite their formal, cold, and cunning nature that they show normally, when with those close to them, they soften up. Sometimes it seems like they're a completely different person, seeing them so happy, sweet, loving, and social. Ruffrunner cares deeply for those lucky few who were able to crack them open, often they will show these said people the art they've been working on or ask how the dragon's day has been. Consoling them if it's been bad and making it even better when it's been good.
The SkyWing has a creative mind, something that can sometimes be seen even at work sometimes. They take trash, whether it be things they find around the house, junkmail and magazines, or stuff they find in the alleyway, and make them beautiful. For the dragon had a fascination for art since they were young, a way to express oneself without using words. Collages mostly, but little doodles have been attempted, albeit they don't look as well as their collages. Most of them just display their current thoughts or mood in strange or obscure ways. But that's what they love so much about art, how many ways it can be interpreted.
They don't snap too often from impatience nor do they often feel flustered or awkward around others except for a select few. Ruffrunner is generally patient, knowing that getting worked up about things won't do any good and might get them in trouble. However, the most common things that work them up is anything to do with flirting and talking to their boss, Crystal. Though both trigger somewhat different reactions from them. While flirting with them just makes them want to punch whoever is doing it, talking with their boss is just awkward tension. It's rather difficult to talk to someone who cares about no one but themself.
Backstory
Ruffrunner, born with the name Trailblazer, didn't hatch in the wealthiest part of town, which may have played a role in their developed hatred towards the rich. For the first few years they were raised with both of their parents, though their parents broke off ties from one another before she could ever develop any sort of attachment to their father. He's never spoken of in her household, it seems to be something of a trigger word for their mother. Ruffrunner learned well from their mother, from encouraging them to take opportunities when they're given to them to learning how to steal. Their mother didn't have very much money to begin with and could barely support both of them.
She was hit rather hard after getting fired from her job as a nurse at a small hospital in their neighborhood. The cause? One of her coworkers found out she was smuggling spare blankets and scraps of food back home when no one was looking. Despite the shortage of money, Ruffrunner's mother managed to scrap up enough money to send them to school at the ripe age of 6. Though not the most social dragon out there, she did manage to make a small clique of friends, one of them soon becoming their closest friend, a young SeaWing going by the name of Parsnip. While everyone at their school lived in the same neighborhood as them, this dragoness lived right down the street from Ruffrunner. and because of that, their interactions became much more frequent.
The two bonded over a lot of shared interests. Books, hobbies, and a desire to learn new things and travel the world. Ruffrunner had a dream. To one day get enough money to travel the world and learn more about other dragons' cultures and then come back home and show their mother all the places they've been. After falling into debt to her landowner, Ruffrunner's mother decided to slowly pay it off by working as a maid for her. This dragon, a rich MudWing named Almeda, was that one spark to start the SkyWing's burning hatred towards the rich. Eventually they too worked for this dragoness on some occasions where they were willing and available.
One year in middle school when their mother was cleaning out Amelda's attic, she came across a broken down box that had “things to get rid of” scrawled in black permanent marker on the side of it. Inside was a dusty book filled with beautiful collages made by famous dragons that were in similar financial situations as Ruffrunner themself. Their mother brought this book back home to show their dragonet, who showed some interest in making artwork, but wasn't quite sure where to start. This very book sparked inspiration in that dragonet that would lead them down a path of making collages from discarded objects. Collages that told stories about their life.
It was when they got to high school that Ruffrunner and Parsnip didn't get to see each other at school anymore, as they moved to a high school that promised exactly what the SkyWing wanted. A chance to study and visit the world. Their mother just managed to get them in without collapsing financially, much to their dismay. Though they were never given the chance to actually visit different places in Pyrrhia, they did at least get one thing. An opportunity to learn so much about the world around them. They didn't make many friends at this high school, sticking with the ones they knew well from their old school.
In truth this high school fueled their distaste towards those of higher class than them even more. After all, there was one thing almost every student and teacher had in common. They were all of high class in the social circle, they were all snobby, arrogant, and self-centered, and most noticeably, they were all rich. These dragons they had to spend so much time with started building a mental box in Ruffrunner's head. One that they could put all these snobs into, separate from those they know and love. Though their mother always told them not to judge dragons based on how much money they have, the SkyWing simply couldn't help it sometimes.
To help their mother get out of debt, they would occasionally work at Amelda's mansion and see firsthand how the MudWing treated her mother. One fateful day when they were cleaning the MudWing's bedroom something shiny sitting on the inn table caught their eye, coming closer they figured out what it was. Money. Their greens eyes widened, it was just a bit of spare change, enough to afford a meal or two at best. Ruffrunner looked behind them, the door was still closed and there weren't any signs of anyone coming in. With little hesitation they swiped the silver coins and stuffed them in the bag that hung around their neck, full of cleaning supplies. Exiting that room after finishing cleaning they felt a ghost of a smile on their face, not a drop of guilt.
That was their first taste of stealing things, how satisfying it was and how they could use this to their advantage to help support their mother. They refused to go to college after finishing high school, wanting to support and look after their mother 24/7 and get her back on her feet after finally getting out of debt. Ruffrunner took up a job as a hotel attendant at a famous hotel near the heart of the city, run by a stunning dragoness named Crystal who holds a dark secret. Or that's at least what they think, she has at least a few skeletons in her closet. Surprisingly enough, it was much easier to get employed at this job than they thought it would be.
They'd never forget the look on Crystal's face when she said the words "you're hired, darling." A look of cunning and slyness but also a haunting charm to it. Ever since then she gave them more work than their colleagues, as though to challenge them or to perhaps break them. Most of their colleagues were about as snobby as they expected them to be, most of them fit almost perfectly into the "box." Except for one, a shy and easily-flustered NightWing who responded to the name of Butler. He assisted them whenever he could and has almost caught them in the act of stealing the money of the dragons who stayed in the hotel multiple times now.
While they don't exactly "love" this job, it has made them feel useful. Every single coin stolen, every single scrap of food they could smuggle from the café, it's all to support their mother.
Abilities
Barring a creative mind and quick hands, Ruffrunner has quite a few useful skills at their disposal. With their most used abilities being what has already been mentioned. The SkyWing desires to make random items and make them beautiful through collages. And from these collages, they express their current emotions and/or thoughts. But perhaps the more used ability is their stealing skills that they learned from their mother. Whether this is pick-pocketing, smuggling, or downright stealing changes depending on the situation. 
Ruffrunner's renown silver tongue has gotten them out of quite a few situations, they've learned the usefulness of being able to lie your way out. However, their tendency to lie so much at work has turned them around a little bit, spitting out more lies than truths. Sometimes they are uncertain if what they're saying or not is a lie, as it seems their silver tongue occasionally works on themself as well. They don't possess any tribal powers, past being able to fly, but not necessarily fast.
Relationships
please roleplay beforehand
Mother
Their mother is one of few dragons they're very close to and love fiercely. She's willing to make sacrifices for them, even if it costs her most of her life savings and while they aren't very keen on her doing that, they respect it. All the stolen money they get from their job is for her and her alone. To help her pay the bills and to get her back on her feet. They often worry about her well-being when they're gone to work or if she's late to come home at night. Ruffrunner often feels like they should protect her from all the snobs that she encounters, but is always told not to judge all the rich dragons.
Sometimes they wish they could do something to get her more money, as they're forced to be a bit stingy when it comes to stealing money from the hotel guests. After all, their boss barely even pays them, so they don't expect to get a raise any time soon. Not only do they provide extra money for their mother, but smuggle her scraps of food they managed to steal from either the kitchen or café. They often fill their mother's needs first before fulfilling their own. Due to her pushing on in years, the SkyWing dragoness is much gentler with her then they used to be and takes up more tasks at home that their mother used to do but can't due to age.Very Positive
Parsnip
Parsnip is their best and only friend, ever since meeting in kindergarten, the SeaWing dragoness has always been there for her and vice versa. Much like with their mother, this dragon is one of the few who have seen their softer, compassionate, and much more caring side. They enjoy being in her company, her humorous and happy-go-lucky nature blends with Ruffrunner's creative and compassionate mind. Often they find themself amazed by her poetry and her attempts at making collages.
Even though the two didn't see each other too often when Ruffrunner had to go to a different high school than Parsnip, they still talked as frequently as possible. The dragoness always found a way to make them laugh, even in the worst of times when they're burnt out or tired. Both of them often vent to each other or work on activities together. Though the SkyWing wishes their friend knew how talented she is, for she's done things they couldn't even begin to attempt.Very Positive
Butler
No one knows why his name is Butler, it's the only thing he responds to. But whatever he's called, their opinion of him is still almost the same as the rest of their colleagues. A snob who only thinks about themself. Though they were proven a bit wrong by this NightWing, who is much nicer to them than everyone else. Even if he still can be snobby, self-centered, and patronizing, it's much more toned down and bearable. Butler often surprises them with his bursts of kindness towards them, even if he gets a bit flustered when giving them to the SkyWing. Except for when he asked them out for dinner, never had they felt like they didn't belong.
He is... odd, but they still think it's some sort of disguise. At his core, he's still a snob, he just doesn't like staying in the "box" they put all the rich dragons into. Butler still criticizes them sometimes when they do something wrong, fixing it himself. It seems like he wants to get to know them better by spending more time than necessary with them. This greatly annoys them, as they can't steal anything when he's in the room. He's always been a huge tattletale, just like the others.Neutral
Amelda
Hates her with every fiber of their being. Not only because she reminds them highly of their boss, Crystal, but because of how she treats their mother. Like an animal or an object, not a sentient being with thoughts and feelings. Amelda is nothing more than a self-respecting snob who cares more about profit than other dragons' feelings. Occasionally, when they're open and are willing to, they'll help their mother clean up the house. Though they mostly do this to steal some extra cash from Amelda's bedroom.
Though uncertain what the rich MudWing does for a living to be so rich, they sometimes can't help but be enamored by the simplistic beauty of her mansion. Even if they despise the dragon that resides within. From their infrequent encounters and stories told by their mother, they think of her as cruel and stubborn on top of being a snob. Just like how Crystal is when hidden away from the judgmental public eye. Although the IceWing is much more manipulative and secretive. They know better than to badmouth the dragoness to her face, but whenever they gaze upon that smug look in their eyes, they just want to let go of their frustration.
They only keep it in so their mother can keep her job.Negative
Crystal
There is no one (other than Amelda) they hate more than their boss. Cunning, manipulative, and downright cruel sometimes, she is the snobbiest and most self-centered creature Ruffrunner has ever met. It doesn't help that she's taken an interest in them, often assigning them more work then what they signed up for. Crystal seems to have two faces, the one she reveals to the public eye and the one that is only shown to her workers. Perhaps to keep her image of a humble, charming, and witty IceWing entrepreneur.
There's a reason they've dubbed this dragoness as the "Queen of Snobs." Someone who fits in the "box" just fine, as though it were made for her specifically. When around their boss, they have to physically restrain from trashing their tail but twining it around something. Crystal has come close to figuring out what they're up to and because of this, they see her as a threat to their own agenda. Although they're pretty certain she is hiding something from the rest of society, they just aren't sure what it is. Has literally no idea how to talk to her.Negative
Trivia
*originally was inspired off of the story of hiccup the second from the how to train your dragon books, this however was scrapped after a new idea i wanted to implement onto an old character came up.
*another concept (the one replacing the very first concept listed above) was to have them be a maid who steals money from the clients they work for when said clients are out. while this wasn't fully scrapped, them being a maid was.
*diet consists mostly of spaghetti and hotel mints. maybe some seared salmon that they managed to steal from the kitchen or chocolate chip muffins from the café.
*birthday is december 25th (capricorn). most of the birthday parties they had at school were a bit over the top. especially in high school.
*favorite foods are spaghetti and pancakes. pancakes are their birthday food and they have spaghetti almost every other day.
*once played the violin and piano for music class in middle school. terrible at both.
*minor inspiration taken from cruella (some personality traits and relationship with crystal) and the character jade (occupation, some personality traits and history) from a book called piecing me together.
Gallery
Ruffrunnerpfp.png|infobox.
Egg 3 headshot.png|indigo.
Category:Characters
Category:Females
Category:Non-binary
Category:SkyWings
Category:Content (Verglas the IceWing)
Category:LGBT+
Category:Occupation (Artist)
Category:Occupation (Criminal)
Category:Occupation (Staff)