Erik

His father is a carpenter, and his mother is deaf. He is tall and thin, with pale golden curls always tousled and dusted with wood shavings, grey-blue eyes, faint freckles, and long fingers with calluses on the knuckles from the plane. His pocket always holds a folding rule and a stub of pencil.

Personality. Idealistic, stubborn, and fond of arguing. Once convinced of how something "should be done," he refuses to compromise. He dares to talk back even to his mentors, yet privately loses sleep over a single criticism. He is not good with soft words; his way of showing gratitude is by handcrafting a small item himself. He uses respectful terms for elders, speaks bluntly to classmates, and avoids affectionate nicknames.