New Hope Character Information Sheet

    April 2001



    Originator of Character: Margaret R. Dean

    Call Name: Bugdance
    Soul Name: Miki
    Soul Name Known By: Longshanks , Heartseeker and Piet
    Soul Names Known: Longshanks, Heartseeker [and Piet?]

    Gender: Male
    Race: Elf
    Status: Alive
    Generation/Age: c. 250 years old at the founding of New Hope
    Origin: Born in an unnamed jungle tribe that was decimated by disease. A wanderer for many years, along with Longshanks, Heartseeker, and Piet; last home before relocating to New Hope was Great Water Holt.
    Current Residence: New Hope, Trainlingstar Household
    Elder?: No

    Hair: Dark brown, very curly, sort of a Brillo-explosion style
    Eyes: Dark brown, level but with sharply slanted eyebrows
    Skin: Brown, about Sun Folk shade
    Height: 4'10"
    Build: Wiry
    Voice/Speech: Light, husky tenor/baritone; talks rapidly (and a lot!) with casual/colloquial speech patterns.
    Other Physical Attributes: Broad, somewhat flattened nose, short upper lip, large chin, manic grin.  Extremely agile and always on the move. Very "foot-handy," i.e., picks up and handles things with his feet.

    Parents: Threetail, mother (D), father unknown (born out of Recognition)
    Siblings: None known
    Other Relatives: None known

    Current Mate: Open ("Made for lovemates," though)
    Previous Mates: Vallaree, lovemate (Tower Mountain); Firecrystal, lovemate (Great Water); probably has had lots of others
    Recognized?:Yes, to Ceyte
    Children: Mijacogeo (Mijo), son by Vallaree, and Temi/Floatstone, son by Ceyte. If he's left any others in his wake, we don't know about 'em . . . yet . . .
    Closest Friends: Longshanks, Piet (Halfwise), Heartseeker (soulbrothers), Vallaree
    Bondbeasts: Usually ends up with small arboreal critters with weird names. Known bondbeasts include Fluff-Ears, a marmoset (first); Nosey, a coatimundi (d. TWR 1087); Honey, a kinkajou (at Great Water and presumably the early years at New Hope); currently (NH 50 - ?) has a cacomistle

    Talent: Animal bonding
    Skills: Small game hunting, foraging, and general survival skills. Adventurous and not always successful cook; Excellent climber and acrobat, as much or more at home in trees than on the ground (his birth-tribe was largely arboreal); Clever with his hands and able to learn just about any craft at journeyman level at least; The most useful ones include things like pottery, basketry, ropemaking.
    Hobbies: Storytelling, matchmaking, getting into trouble (usually with Heartseeker in tow), pranks, singing and dancing (and boy does he know some weird ones!).
    Weapons: Blowgun, knife

    Jewelry:As many bead necklaces as he can get his hands on, the wilder the better
    Clothing: Varies; Likes to experiment with new styles, has weird tastes. In summer, favors just a brightly patterned loincloth; also goes in for ponchos in dizzying patterns; Only wears shoes when forced by weather or other circumstances.
    Special Possessions: None known

    Personality and History

             Bugdance was one of the three companions of Piet who came to Tower Mountain with him in TWR 1087, leaving during Twillor's Escape. During his sojourn in the Tower, however, Bugdance had lovemated with Vallaree and unwittingly sired an out-of-Recognition child, Mijacogeo (Mijo). (It should be noted that Bugdance's birth-tribe had evolved at least partly in the direction of the Go-Backs or the Brightcolor Desert elves and produced at least as many children out of Recognition as in. **Hey, it was a jungle out there!** Later, still in Piet's company, Bugdance was involved in the events of the Crisis and along with his soulbrothers volunteered to help settle New Hope. Unlike Heartseeker, however, he was unable to persuade his then-current Great Water flame, Firecrystal, to emigrate with him. Which was probably just as well . . .
             If meeting Mijo was something of a shock (though all in all a pleasurable one), meeting Vallaree again proved distinctly uncomfortable for Bugdance. He had truly been in love with her all those years ago, but he had put those feelings behind him and she hadn't. During the early years at New Hope he lovemated with her again for a while, mostly because he felt sorry for her and also felt responsible for her (**She's so helpless!**), but he kept hurting her without meaning to and it eventually dawned on her that this Wasn't Going To Work. After a rather tempestuous and tearful (on her part) breakup, they eventually worked back to being friends. Nowadays their relationship is easy, warm, and completely platonic. Bugdance is Valli's favorite confidant and crying shoulder when things get to be Too Much.
             Bugdance and Mijo get on like a house afire.  They're kindred spirits and they don't have the emotional baggage that Bugdance and Vallaree but knew them for what they were -- stories. Besides, the reality is so much more fun! Father and son have a strong bond of affection but don't tie each other down. And they love to swap stories whenever Mijo is in port!
             In temperament Bugdance is restless (physically, that is -- despite his extensive travels he is not a wanderer by nature), very hyper, extraverted, witty, talkative, a quick and imaginative thinker, curious, a prankster with a quirky sense of humor.  A fast talker and a bit of a show-off, not always completely honest, who rarely shows deep feelings. He is capable of them, though, as witness his soulbonding with Longshanks, Heartseeker and Piet.  He also, surprisingly, is a good listener and confidant for people who aren't generally supposed to need them (E.g. Longshanks). Not above meddling in other people's lives "for their own good," especially when it concerns affairs of the heart; when he and Heartseeker collaborate on this, watch out! Sometimes accused of not taking anything seriously. His Recognition to Ceyte has not resulted in a mating to date, but the two of them collaborated in raising Temi and remain good friends.
             Bugdance settled fairly well into New Hope and Trailingstar Household. He had never had any particular antipathy for humans or trolls and in fact thought them rather funny. (**But then, so are elves!**) He was able to make himself useful in many small ways as the colony was trying to find its feet (**Look down, silly!**), especially since Bugdance knows more unexpected sources of food than just about anybody. Currently he is a member of Trailingstar Household and busies himself with any small task that comes to hand (or foot). They only let him near the kitchen, however, when preparing for the Tribe without Name's "Evening of Unpalatables."
             Never rides a horse if he can help it.  They make him nervous and vice versa.
     

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