Lao Altadeva Theophinae

Name:	Lao Altadeva Theophinae
Bond:	Gicuceth
Bonded At:	Star City Dragonry
Homeworld:	An Earth-like world
Species:	Human
Age:	11
Sex:	Male
Height:	4'10"
Hair:	Dusty brown, fine and cut short
Skin:	Salmon peach
Eyes:	Green and flecked with gold
Residence:	Star City
Position:	Apprentice Archivist to Keum Orust
Split-soul:	Altadeva, female, no final form
Description:	About average in height for his age and light of build, Lao has dusty brown hair, cut short and neat, and green eyes flecked with gold around the edges of the iris. His skin is a healthy shade of peach, which reddens easily with embarrassment or too much sun-- the latter of which is no longer a problem to him, living on a space station. His clothing, mostly in earth tones, is simple, almost medieval in cut, for he is uncomfortable in anything fashionable at his new home, preferring the familiar even if it looks strange. Lao is never seen without Altadeva-- though Altadeva is not always recognizable as herself, as she looks different nearly every time you look at her. She might be a huge, muscled tigress, a tail-wagging golden retriever, a nut-brown, nervous mouse, or anything else in between. The only thing about her which never changes are her eyes, which are the same green and gold as Lao's.
Personality:	Lao is quiet and studious, unlike most youths, and in fact often acts much older than he really is. There are moments when his real age shines through the exterior of miniature adult that he exudes, usually only when he relaxes in private, but these are few and not seen by anyone who is not a close friend-- not that he has many. Lao has hardly had the chance, nor made the time, to make friends his own age. He has taken his new position as an apprentice Archivist and chronicler very seriously, and usually keeps himself quite busy studying, working on improving his memory, and practicing his observance skills. A boy of simple interests, Lao has always been happiest with a book or a sketch pad, and maybe someone to share dinner with. He is also a great lover of the out of doors, something he misses badly in his new home, but he knows he is better off where he is now and refuses to complain. Perhaps as a compliment to Lao's serious and disciplined nature, his soul-- which is, oddly to most people, a physical, corporeal being with her own mind and opinions-- is friendly and bold. Altadeva, or commonly just Alta, is very motherly, despite being only as old as he is, and very protective of him. While he does not stand up for himself, she will do so, for him.
History:	Spending the first years of his life as a slave on a wine vineyard was not how Lao would have preferred to spend them, but he didn't really have much of a choice. His masters were gentle enough, however, and despite not having a family, he at least had a whole gaggle of older slaves who also worked the vineyard who corporately acted like one. Life wasn't really that bad, so Lao had nothing to complain of. It was only when the winery was bought by another wealthy family, when Lao was nine, that things really started to go downhill. Because they were slaves, none of the vineyard hands could complain about shortened rations, lengthened hours, or beatings, least of all Lao, who was the youngest among them. For two years, Lao suffered silently among his fellows, taking solace in his soul and best friend, Altadeva, and trying to be as quiet and unobtrusive as possible. Then he met Keum, at the time disguised as an older woman by a holographic projection system, and his world was turned upside down. Keum gave the vineyard owners a piece of her mind, set the authorities on them-- apparently, though most of the slaves had not known this, even mistreatment to chattel such as themselves was against the law-- and spirited Lao himself away, herself. She "had uses" for him, she said. She had not said that those uses would require him to leave his home, even his planet, enter the service of a giant lupine creature, spend years away from anything even resembling a meadow, or be transported to a place where you couldn't see anyone's soul. The last disturbed him greatly, for where he came from, he and Altadeva were considered normal, and people "without souls" were things to scare little children with. Even though he has lived there for a couple months now and is accustomed to everything else, it still bothers him that no one has a soul like Altadeva, and it is one reason he has made no attempt at making friends. Lao's bonding of Gicuceth was entirely accidental, entirely unplanned, and entirely to the displeasure of his new Master. On the whole, though, he really doesn't care: Gicuceth is all he could want in a friend, and he's quite content to look after her in the ways that she can't look after herself, which, unfortunately, are many.

Visible Souls are the creative property of Bill Pullman, from His Dark Materials Trilogy