Verbena (SimplyStardust)

Please don’t steal my coding!
V E R B E N A
Expectations are funny things.
Some might say they're negative. After all, the higher one builds them up, the lower they themself will fall once the truth hits. Perhaps one could argue that they are a form of prejudice - acting unfair towards the one being judged.
Others, though, might say that they're just a part of life. After all, everybody has to deal with them at some point, whether they're the giver or the recipient. Sometimes they might end up actually being necessary in select situations - although it might not be often.
Overall, though, expectations are inevitable. Holding them, feeling them, receiving them - at some point, they'll happen to every existent soul.
But when they're not met, the outcome is never good for anybody.
This character belongs to Stardust, and was created for Cloud's Rather Complicated Contest. I received colors purple and yellow and was assigned to break the stereotypes associated with those shades. The result was Verbena, a small dragonet with big dreams.
Do not plagiarize or edit any part of this page without my permission - the exception would be categories.
Verbena 	Verbena
 	
Artist 	Reverb
Background Information	Background Information
Creator 	Stardust
Coding 	Unique
Main Attribute 	Enthuasism / tomboy-ishness / undignified / paradoxism
Elemental Attribute 	Sunlight
Theme Animal 	Hummingbird
Theme Colors 	Pale purples / light yellows
Theme Song 	Atlas: One - Sleeping at Last
Aesthetics 	Verbenas / rolling hills of green / fairy dust / fantasy lands / victory / a bird set free / splattered paint / citrus fruits
MBTI Personality 	ENFJ-A (the Protagonist)
Character Information 	Character Information
Age 	4
Gender 	Female
Occupation 	Student
Orientation 	Sideways
Tribe 	LeafWing
Goal 	To fit in as a soldier in the army
Residence 	The southwest Poison Jungle, in a village called Cicada
Nicknames 	Ver
Relatives 	Arum (father), Kauri (mother)
Likes 	Adventure, the idea of fighting, seeing the world, being a tomboy, fitting in with everybody else, winning things, adrenaline, taking risks, playing with her friends, social activities
Dislikes 	Adults talking down to her, being looked down upon, being treated differently, having to be elegant, taking care of her looks, being considered "weird", acting dignified
Skills 	Tripping over her own feet, annoying the heck out of other LeafWings
Weapons 	Normal LeafWing powers
Quote 	AAARGH. STUPID SQUIRREL.
A P P E A R A N C E
Look, I'm special, and you'll just have to deal with it.
Many a lost traveler have probably come across this odd LeafWing. Wandering through the Poison Jungle, brushing fronds and leaves away from their face, only to spot a small dragonet frolicking in a clearing, terrorizing the nearest butterfly or squirrel she could find. Her colors elegant, but the rest of her anything but.
First, her highlights. Or rather, the lack of them. Verbena is often so covered in dust and grime that her scales are glazed with a thin layer of... stuff, for lack of a better word. Over her would-be brilliant coloration lies a soft layer of dirt, moisture, or whatever she has gotten into recently. This is probably a result of her tomboy-ish nature, combined with the fact that she hates bathing - giving her a washed-out look and a mischievous nature.
Second, her tendencies. The dragonet moves with uncoordinated, clumsy steps, often tripping over her own talons or lacking hand-eye coordination. Verbena's posture often slouches too, and her talons and tail are always in motion. It's practically impossible for her to sit completely still.
Third, her build. Although quite short, Verbena wears her height with pride, and anybody who teases her about it is likely to get whacked on the shoulder. Most of her limbs are stubby and maybe a little pudgy, but below the rough-and-tumble exterior lies developing muscle - it just takes a little bit of observing to see it. Her snout, though, is long and tapering, and when she's wearing her trademark rambunctious smile, it's almost too easy for most adults to peg her as a troublemaker.
Fourth, her coloring. Perhaps it could be considered unique, under other circumstances, but on Verbena's heavyset build it just looks odd. Her mainscales are pale pastel violet, accented with a slightly darker shade of purple and speckled with flecks of gold around her snout, limbs, and edges of her wings. Her overscales are also slightly darker than her mainscales, although they lack those flecks of gold.
Light yellow underscales plate Verbena's neck and chest, the color of a the center of a daisy. Her wing membranes are very nearly the same color, except a shade darker. The spines marching down her back are, yet again, close to the same color - sunlight yellow, while the membranes between them are just a tad paler and her horns are the same color.
Verbena's eyes are dark, doe-brown, the only "normal" part of her coloration. Undercurrents of gold and bronze run throughout her whole body; if she's in her usual slouch-y posture, they're invisible, but as soon as she stands in a beam of sun, everything is visible, and her whole body practically lights up with shades of metallic colors underlaying the pastel ones.
And fifth? Her wounds. Verbena's left wing is ripped beyond repair, part of it dangling limply as she makes her way throughout her home. And her left hind leg is encased in a bulky metal brace, several strips of rusting copper wrapping around her leg horizontally and a few other pieces connecting them vertically. She walks with a permanent limp, which is the thing most dragons see. The thing that others judge her on.
But Verbena would argue that there's a number six. Her winning personality is what she would call it. Instead of judging her on her looks, she wants dragons to look beneath the surface, to see her as more than just a cripple. That there's so much more to her.
And she might be right.
P E R S O N A L I T Y
It wasn't me!
Mischievous... would be a good word for Verbena.
The first thing most dragons note about her is that she's constantly getting herself into all sorts of trouble. She could definitely be identified as a rascal, a troublemaker - and those labels are absolutely right. It's not that the little LeafWing likes making things harder for others, per se. It's just that she leaps before she looks, and never stops to think things through, meaning she usually acts on the spur of the moment and deals with the consequences later. In addition, Verbena is naturally curious about almost everything from gossip to flowers, and she'll poke her nose into some undesirable places to get the information she wants.
Verbena is very energetic, never seeming to look tired or even the slightest bit sleepy. She is quite a bit more extroverted than most in her village, enjoying hanging out with friends or chatting away with any and every dragon she comes upon. She has a way of connecting with other dragons, of reading their personalities and finding the perfect way to reach out to them, whether it be through logic or emotion. Her loyalty is earned easily, and she doesn't hesitate to trust new dragons, which can be taken as a strength or a flaw - you decide. However, she can come off as clingy from time to time: she has an irrational fear of being discarded, tossed aside like a worthless piece of trash. So she holds on to every dragon she meets, trying her best to get close to them. And she often succeeds.
She's full of passion, and everything she does reflects that. Verbena pours her heart and soul into everything she does, putting a ton of extra effort into everything and often working late into the night to get things done. Once she has her gaze set on something, she will stop at nothing to achieve it. One of her goals includes, of course, defeating the HiveWings - but her view is slightly different from most others. Verbena isn't really focused on the downfall of the other tribe itself; she's been raised to believe that her tribe has been wronged, and so all she really cares about is winning. As a result, her view of the war is slightly one-sided.
Stubborn is a word that completely describes her; Verbena will literally never back down from an argument if she truly believes in it - which she usually does. Naturally, though, this leads to the fact that she can come off as bossy or brash, especially to quieter or more sensitive dragons. However, one of her biggest strengths is that she's incredibly persistent and reliable. Verbena will never let someone down, and if her friends or family are depending on her to do something, then rest assured she will see it through.
Deep down, Verbena has an overwhelming desire to fit in with everybody else. To her, this idea is best fulfilled by becoming a soldier and serving in the LeafWing army - no matter how much her disabilities hold her back, she's determined to wheedle her way into attending military school. Her overarching longing, however, is just to be the same as everybody else, to fit in among her tribe and not to be the subject of stares or whispers bouncing off her as she walks the paths of the village. She has no big dreams of hoping to change the world, because frankly, she doesn't believe that's possible.
H I S T O R Y
Everything hurts.
note: takes place in a canon timeline, during the Tree Wars
Like all LeafWings, Verbena was hatched in the Poison Jungle, hidden away from the HiveWings and raised in a village among the trees. But unlike all LeafWings, her parents were two important generals, who were always away fighting for their tribe against the HiveWings. She was treated importantly, like the next heir to a throne - but she hated it. As a result, she began to act out, hoping it would get her parents' attention. 
However, this had a dual purpose - somehow, in its own twisted way, it made her... fit in. Feel more like the other trouble-making dragonets in her class. Verbena enjoyed the feeling of being accepted by everyone else more than anything. And so she didn't stop.
She took risks, more than what was safe, jumping off trees or cannon-balling into the river or swinging through the branches. Verbena loved the adrenaline, the thrill of the dare pumping through every part of her body. There were times when she was scolded, and other times where she very nearly almost died, but she didn't stop doing what she loved.
Until that fateful morning.
Verbena had just turned three a few days ago, and she had gone out with her friends to celebrate. The joy of feeling accepted, of being loved, still lingered in a haze around her, and her vision - both physical and mental - was obscured because of it. And so she decided to climb the famed Century Oak, the tallest tree in the Poison Jungle, and jump off of it into the river below.
If you asked her why she did it today, Verbena would most likely shrug or wave the question off. In truth, she doesn't know herself. In the heat of the moment, the thrill of plunging through the air to the water far below just appealed wildly to all her senses, and she got too caught up in it. Ultimately, the consequences would shake her world forever.
She scaled the tree effortlessly, getting to the top in a matter of about half an hour. And once at the top, she didn't hesitate. Tucked her wings and dove.
She landed badly.
The wind blew her off course easily and she tumbled through the branches, her left wing slashed countless times and her left hind leg smashed and twisted brutally as she hit the ground. Her friends, in a panic, brought her back to their village as quickly as possible.
But for Verbena, it was too late.
She arrived unconscious and half-dead, with several broken ribs and a bad concussion. The doctors tried their best, but when Verbena woke up, she had been stripped of her ability to fly and lost all sense in her leg.
She cried. For knowing that she'd never feel the wind whistling beneath her wings again as she soared and dipped in the sky, drunk on freedom. For knowing that she'd never race through the forest again, as fleet as a deer, leaping over logs and splashing through puddles. But most of all, for knowing that she'd never be considered average or have a future in the army or even just live a normal life.
Slowly, Verbena healed. Over the course of a few months, her head stopped throbbing, her wing aching, and she could move around slowly on a copper brace for her leg the doctor made for her. She went back to school, enduring the stares her classmates gave her. Without risks, though, her life was nothing.
Now, a few years later, Verbena's learned to cope with it. She's much more subdued than she was before, but she's nowhere near stripped of the soul she once had. She's still healing.
R E L A T I O N S H I P S
I'm grateful to everybody for sticking by my side.
Arum & Kauri
Although Verbena's parents are away most of the time fighting in the Tree Wars, she loves them dearly and wishes they were at home more often. When the small family gets a rare opportunity to spend time together, they always take Verbena out to do something they all love, and they end the day feeling satisfied with the time they enjoyed together. Verbena is an only child, but Arum and Kauri never leave her feeling lonely, and she appreciates that and everything else they do for her. Even when they're away in the army, Verbena never feels lost, and she knows that they'll be with her for the rest of all their lives.
Monkshood
The phrase "best friends" doesn't even begin to describe these two. Monkshood and Verbena are practically inseparable - where one is, the other is too. They're always getting up to all sorts of mischief and love pulling pranks together; they have some sort of natural chemistry which leads to the fact that they can practically read each other's minds. They're not just fair-weather friends, though - Monkshood stood unfailingly by Verbena when she had her accident, and Verbena was there for Monkshood when her mother was killed. Of course, they have their occasional tussles, but they always make up within a few days or even minutes. Long story short, they're closer than two peas in a pod.
Gorse
Verbena has always longed for incredibly close friendship with other dragons, but she fails to notice a possible one right before her eyes. Gorse is a tiny LeafWing dragonet with a shy personality and a hopeless crush on Verbena, but unfortunately, the latter has literally no idea. He frequently brings her small gifts and offerings - here a fruit, there a cluster of flowers - but Verbena usually dismisses it as nothing and moves on with life, leaving Gorse disappointed and alone. She sees him as just another classmate, insignificant to her own biography. Will she ever notice his affections? Truthfully, probably not, and Gorse knows that. But it doesn't stop him from trying.
Begonia
Unfortunately, Verbena's never met her grandparents, since they're... well, dead. Fortunately, she's got Begonia! She ran into the kind, elderly LeafWing while chasing her mortal enemy a squirrel one day, and they bonded almost immediately. Begonia fed her some wonderful food and drinks and taught her how to make pink lemonade of her own. Verbena doesn't respect a lot of dragons, but there might be an ember of admiration burning in her chest for Begonia, just because of her generosity and willingness to accept a crippled ragamuffin into her home. She's looking forward to her next visit.
Classmates
Toward most of the other dragonets in her village, Verbena is pretty much neutral towards - unless they teased her about her injury. Then it's - for lack of a better word - hateful. However, her classmates themselves are a different story. Many of them feel negatively toward Verbena, due to her bossy and brash personality, and she knows that. However, the other half likes her. Toward extroverts, Verbena has an irresistible air about her that usually ends with everybody else being charmed by her personality. Overall, this relationship is... complicated, but pretty much set in stone.
LeafWings
Of course, Verbena feels pretty patriotic toward her tribe, and hopes that they'll win the Tree Wars. In fact, her entire life's goal is to go into the army and serve her kind. There are moments when Verbena wishes she wasn't one of them - why couldn't she have been born a HiveWing, with an easy education an an easy life? - but generally, she feels positively about her tribe.
HiveWings
Verbena doesn't want to see the destruction of the HiveWings, per se. While out and about in her village she may rant about how they have wronged her tribe, but deep down, she doesn't truly believe that. She cares more about victory for the LeafWings than defeat for the HiveWings, and couldn't care less about what would happen to the HiveWings themselves.
T R I V I A
And then, like, the jaguar burst out of the bush with a ferocious snarl - what do you mean, I'm exaggerating?
*ambidextrous
*handwriting is literally illegible
*what's an inside voice
*can run on very little sleep
*twitches when nervous
*exaggerates rumors and stories quite a bit
*a pretty good storyteller though
*draws her own (terrible) art and plasters the house with them
*room is always a mess
*all her jokes suck. no exceptions
*takes care of her own potted plant that's just barely clinging on to life
*h a t e s napping. seriously, what is the point of wasting daylight
*carpe diem y'all it's her motto
*likes to think she's a gryffindor, but might have hufflepuff traits
*considering her orientation, but is probably pan ace
*loves roast battles to an unhealthy extent
*on that note, uncannily good at comebacks
*has a bit of an ego
*dislikes following rules if they're unfair
*a lot of her quotes are worthy of being italicized; she speaks with a certain emphasis
*has a burning hatred for squirrels
G A L L E R Y
Well, I think I look cool, thank you very much.
Verbena indigo.png|By Indigoxfathom <3
Verbena.jpeg|Aesthetic by Sby, thank you!
Category:Characters
Category:Females
Category:LeafWings
Category:Occupation (Student)
Category:LGBT+
Category:Disabled
Category:Dragonets
Category:Content (Stardust the IceWing-RainWing)