BIOGRAPHY: Hunter Dennehey (OC)
Character Name: Hunter Dennehey (hunter_dennehey)
Medium/Fandom/Etc: None (Original to Lifeboat)
Age: mid-30's
Physical Description:
Long dark hair frames Hunter's face, a cascade of chestnut waves that tumbles loosely to her shoulders, but hardly a finger's width farther. Her green eyes are flecked with brown and a small, straight nose sits above the thin lips of an expressive mouth. Her cheekbones are high and sculpted without being overly sharp or pronounced, her complexion smooth and pale without being washed out. She has a slender jawline that still hints of strength in the way it sets.
She stands about average height for a woman, her body lean, without being too thin, and strong, without being too bulky. When she moves, it is with a casual grace, but not a practiced elegance. Indeed, there's not much of artfulness about her, but rather a sense of frank pragmatism in her direct gaze.
Her manner of dress is practical, with clean lines and classic tailoring that nonetheless bespeaks a certain eye for detail. She wears a pair of brown leather boots under a pair of medium blue, boot-cut jeans -- cinched about the waist with a hand-carved leather belt. A red cotton, scoop-necked tee hides beneath a loose, denim blouse that's left undone and worn like a jacket. Its sleeves are rolled up to her elbows. Over top of it is a brown leather vest with wide shoulders and a tailored cut that actually falls very neatly over her shirttail in a sweeping line that's marred only by her habit to leave it undone -- like the blouse.
About her throat is a black leather cord from which hangs a twist of silver, its jagged design somewhat reminiscent of a dancing flame. Two silver rings adorn her right hand and a third sits on the middle finger of her left. They are her only noticeable ornamentation, though two small holes in her earlobes show evidence that she has occasionally worn more.
Occupation: Veterinarian
Character history and background:
Born and raised in the mountains of Alberta, Canada, Hunter Dennehey is a rancher's daughter -- the third of five children and the only girl. She grew up on horseback, a tomboy by default. It was the only way to keep up with her brothers. Fishing, hunting, tending the livestock, it was all a part of her upbringing. Everyone in the family worked, even from a young age. No one was pampered, no one was coddled. If you didn't pull your weight, you were told about it in no uncertain terms. Expectations were to be met and, in many cases, exceeded.
But that didn't make for a bad childhood, really. It instilled her with a solid work-ethic and a true appreciation of family. They worked hard, they played hard, and, to the outside world, they always, always presented a united front -- no matter how much they fought behind closed doors. (And, truthfully, they didn't fight all that much.)
As a student, Hunter was pretty solid. A's and B's decorated her report cards with great regularity. She graduated high school as an honour roll student and went into university to study veterinary medicine. It wasn't like she was going to remain home on the farm forever. And being a vet wasn't a half-bad way to make a living, given her familiarity with and love of animals and agriculture. She worked her way through high school and university doing a variety of jobs: trail guide, stable hand, riding instructor. In her spare time (more as a teen and undergrad than at any other time, given the workload of graduate and post-graduate school), she picked up hobbies such as music (guitar/voice), and leather-working -- particularly saddle-making and the like. Nose to the grindstone, however, she earned a Ph.D. in veterinary biology, specializing in breeding and genetics.
She spent the first handful of years out of university bouncing around agricultural research labs, assisting in various research projects that fed into her specialties. Ultimately, however, she returned home to establish a practice that largely catered to the needs of the agricultural community she'd grown up in.
It wasn't long, though, before the Stargate Program was revealed -- that was something of a shock, to be sure. It was even less time after that, that the "colony lottery" found her awarded a slot on an outgoing evacuation. That was probably the biggest shock of all. And it certainly derailed the rural practice she'd been trying to build.
It was simply a damn good thing the woman, by this time in her mid-to-late thirties, had grown up to be pretty adaptable.
Winning the "lottery" to end up on a stargate colony wasn't exactly what Hunter had expected out of life. Actually being evacuated as a result of that "win" was even more of a surprise. However, the fact the colony was going to have to set up agricultural resources and deal with the accompanying livestock made it into something of a boon for all concerned. Vets may not have been first on the list of "useful positions", but they certainly weren't last, either. What's more, her knowledge of breeding and genetics could only be an asset, given the fact they were going to a strange planet where they'd encounter strange fauna in addition to any native Earth species they brought along.
As a result, Hunter's spent most of her time working with the agricultural resources of the colony -- particularly the livestock. Her job's been to keep them at least as healthy as the physicians have been keeping the human population. And, actually, it's been fairly rewarding work, too. Add to it the fact that she knows how to hunt and to fish, and, well, she's had no end of things to keep her busy.
Were you to ask her about it, she'd probably tell you life at Gamma Site isn't all that different than life back home. 'Cept, of course, that'd she'd prefer a ranch house to a tent. But, you know, can't have everything.
Still, she's pretty content. She has a horse, she has a saddle, and she's got fulfilling work. The rest of it's just gravy.
POV:
Hunter glanced briefly at the tall man leaning on the fence beside her while she tended to the stone under the horse's shoe. "There're two things you need to figure about animals," she noted, carefully maneuvering her pocket knife to pry the pebble loose. "The first is: they're not human. So, ascribing human traits to them is usually a mistake. This isn't to say they don't have feelings and distinct personalities. They do. But they don't think like us. They're about as 'alien' as most people are ever likely to meet." A beat. She let the hoof go and Suki lowered it peaceably to the earth.
"Well," Hunter amended. "Were ever likely to meet. Before we all got dragged through the Stargate. Still, the point stands. They're terrestrial, sure. Familiar, even. But alien to us, all the same. Only, most people don't get that."
She reached up to stroke Suki's neck briefly, murmuring gently to her before she started the process of unsaddling the mare, hanging the tack over the fence post for the time being. The man lifted his cap slightly before settling it back on his brow, simply waiting for the vet to finish her lecture. Amusement coloured his features, which she ignored.
"The second thing, though," Hunter continued, "is that animals were surviving just fine long before we humans came along, and chances are they'll survive just fine long after we're gone, too. In some cases, probably better. They got the whole find food, water, and sex thing down pat, you know. And they do okay with the whole birthing and growing up thing, too. So, my being a vet? Sure, it's to help animals. But, just as much -- sometimes more -- it's to help people deal with animals. I'm a translator, sorta. Not entirely, as I don't really speak 'alien'. But, my job's still to help those that can't speak for themselves communicate a little more clearly to those that can. 'Cause, you know, sometimes what's wrong with an animal doesn't have anything to do with the animal. It has to do with the human." Another beat. She gave a wry smile at the irony of the statement. "Funny, that."
Medium/Fandom/Etc: None (Original to Lifeboat)
Age: mid-30's
Physical Description:
Long dark hair frames Hunter's face, a cascade of chestnut waves that tumbles loosely to her shoulders, but hardly a finger's width farther. Her green eyes are flecked with brown and a small, straight nose sits above the thin lips of an expressive mouth. Her cheekbones are high and sculpted without being overly sharp or pronounced, her complexion smooth and pale without being washed out. She has a slender jawline that still hints of strength in the way it sets.
She stands about average height for a woman, her body lean, without being too thin, and strong, without being too bulky. When she moves, it is with a casual grace, but not a practiced elegance. Indeed, there's not much of artfulness about her, but rather a sense of frank pragmatism in her direct gaze.
Her manner of dress is practical, with clean lines and classic tailoring that nonetheless bespeaks a certain eye for detail. She wears a pair of brown leather boots under a pair of medium blue, boot-cut jeans -- cinched about the waist with a hand-carved leather belt. A red cotton, scoop-necked tee hides beneath a loose, denim blouse that's left undone and worn like a jacket. Its sleeves are rolled up to her elbows. Over top of it is a brown leather vest with wide shoulders and a tailored cut that actually falls very neatly over her shirttail in a sweeping line that's marred only by her habit to leave it undone -- like the blouse.
About her throat is a black leather cord from which hangs a twist of silver, its jagged design somewhat reminiscent of a dancing flame. Two silver rings adorn her right hand and a third sits on the middle finger of her left. They are her only noticeable ornamentation, though two small holes in her earlobes show evidence that she has occasionally worn more.
Occupation: Veterinarian
Character history and background:
Born and raised in the mountains of Alberta, Canada, Hunter Dennehey is a rancher's daughter -- the third of five children and the only girl. She grew up on horseback, a tomboy by default. It was the only way to keep up with her brothers. Fishing, hunting, tending the livestock, it was all a part of her upbringing. Everyone in the family worked, even from a young age. No one was pampered, no one was coddled. If you didn't pull your weight, you were told about it in no uncertain terms. Expectations were to be met and, in many cases, exceeded.
But that didn't make for a bad childhood, really. It instilled her with a solid work-ethic and a true appreciation of family. They worked hard, they played hard, and, to the outside world, they always, always presented a united front -- no matter how much they fought behind closed doors. (And, truthfully, they didn't fight all that much.)
As a student, Hunter was pretty solid. A's and B's decorated her report cards with great regularity. She graduated high school as an honour roll student and went into university to study veterinary medicine. It wasn't like she was going to remain home on the farm forever. And being a vet wasn't a half-bad way to make a living, given her familiarity with and love of animals and agriculture. She worked her way through high school and university doing a variety of jobs: trail guide, stable hand, riding instructor. In her spare time (more as a teen and undergrad than at any other time, given the workload of graduate and post-graduate school), she picked up hobbies such as music (guitar/voice), and leather-working -- particularly saddle-making and the like. Nose to the grindstone, however, she earned a Ph.D. in veterinary biology, specializing in breeding and genetics.
She spent the first handful of years out of university bouncing around agricultural research labs, assisting in various research projects that fed into her specialties. Ultimately, however, she returned home to establish a practice that largely catered to the needs of the agricultural community she'd grown up in.
It wasn't long, though, before the Stargate Program was revealed -- that was something of a shock, to be sure. It was even less time after that, that the "colony lottery" found her awarded a slot on an outgoing evacuation. That was probably the biggest shock of all. And it certainly derailed the rural practice she'd been trying to build.
It was simply a damn good thing the woman, by this time in her mid-to-late thirties, had grown up to be pretty adaptable.
Winning the "lottery" to end up on a stargate colony wasn't exactly what Hunter had expected out of life. Actually being evacuated as a result of that "win" was even more of a surprise. However, the fact the colony was going to have to set up agricultural resources and deal with the accompanying livestock made it into something of a boon for all concerned. Vets may not have been first on the list of "useful positions", but they certainly weren't last, either. What's more, her knowledge of breeding and genetics could only be an asset, given the fact they were going to a strange planet where they'd encounter strange fauna in addition to any native Earth species they brought along.
As a result, Hunter's spent most of her time working with the agricultural resources of the colony -- particularly the livestock. Her job's been to keep them at least as healthy as the physicians have been keeping the human population. And, actually, it's been fairly rewarding work, too. Add to it the fact that she knows how to hunt and to fish, and, well, she's had no end of things to keep her busy.
Were you to ask her about it, she'd probably tell you life at Gamma Site isn't all that different than life back home. 'Cept, of course, that'd she'd prefer a ranch house to a tent. But, you know, can't have everything.
Still, she's pretty content. She has a horse, she has a saddle, and she's got fulfilling work. The rest of it's just gravy.
POV:
Hunter glanced briefly at the tall man leaning on the fence beside her while she tended to the stone under the horse's shoe. "There're two things you need to figure about animals," she noted, carefully maneuvering her pocket knife to pry the pebble loose. "The first is: they're not human. So, ascribing human traits to them is usually a mistake. This isn't to say they don't have feelings and distinct personalities. They do. But they don't think like us. They're about as 'alien' as most people are ever likely to meet." A beat. She let the hoof go and Suki lowered it peaceably to the earth.
"Well," Hunter amended. "Were ever likely to meet. Before we all got dragged through the Stargate. Still, the point stands. They're terrestrial, sure. Familiar, even. But alien to us, all the same. Only, most people don't get that."
She reached up to stroke Suki's neck briefly, murmuring gently to her before she started the process of unsaddling the mare, hanging the tack over the fence post for the time being. The man lifted his cap slightly before settling it back on his brow, simply waiting for the vet to finish her lecture. Amusement coloured his features, which she ignored.
"The second thing, though," Hunter continued, "is that animals were surviving just fine long before we humans came along, and chances are they'll survive just fine long after we're gone, too. In some cases, probably better. They got the whole find food, water, and sex thing down pat, you know. And they do okay with the whole birthing and growing up thing, too. So, my being a vet? Sure, it's to help animals. But, just as much -- sometimes more -- it's to help people deal with animals. I'm a translator, sorta. Not entirely, as I don't really speak 'alien'. But, my job's still to help those that can't speak for themselves communicate a little more clearly to those that can. 'Cause, you know, sometimes what's wrong with an animal doesn't have anything to do with the animal. It has to do with the human." Another beat. She gave a wry smile at the irony of the statement. "Funny, that."