Chia

Sometimes, an eidetic memory is a curse.

Chia's father... meant well. He really, really did. He did important work, treating dragons in a prison. Chia always thought that Prospero's heart was too big for his own good. With nimble fingers and constant chatter, Prospero excitedly showed his daughter what to do around the medical bay. He meant well, of course... but he seemed to forget that his daughter is a Snapper and cannot forget.

And then, of course, there were the prisoners that wanted to hurt the doctor they saw as pushing ***** to keep them docile. Some of the worst of the worst were at that prison. Despite his best efforts, some of the worst of the worst got a hold of Chia. She had suffered for a long, long time before the guards found her.

Chia never forgave her father for that. The first chance she got to book it out of there, she did so, hidden in a mail wagon leaving the prison. She didn't have many skills... the medical knowledge she picked up along the way brought up too many memories. Chia made her way as a lounge singer for a while, then fell in with a girlfriend that was, frankly, bad for her.

It was only when she met a tiny Fae at a food stall at a market that Chia realized her true calling. He just wasn't getting through to the coatl running the food stand, so without thinking, Chia ran up to translate. It was such a simple gesture, but it changed her world: Chia stopped cursing her memory. She devoured every language book she could find, she traveled the world, she met with preeminent language scholars. She was, like most Snappers, an auditory learner. Chia had a head for languages, though, and soon became fluent in five besides the common Draconic language: Coatl, Common Beastclan, Old Rockbreakers' Tongue, Serthis, and Old Mistral Tongue. She's learning Old Flameforgers' Tongue now (fairly simple, as it's the ancient precursor to Coatl) and Kitsune.

Despite all this, Chia is rather shy and secretive. She's not at all comfortable around men, and she tends to hunker down in a defensive posture when there are raised voices of any kind. She doesn't like to answer questions about herself, and she's quick to anger; very very defensive, in general. Her loyalty is hard to earn, but once someone has earned it, they have a friend for life.

Chia never thought she'd want to settle down, until she met a Nocturne tiny Guardian at a bookstore, trying to buy one for his best friend Charge. Orion didn't have much of a head for academic subjects, and asked Chia for advice. She found his goofy mask and his relentlessly cheery demeanor charming, and they continually sent letters back and forth for a few months. Orion loved her almost from the beginning. Chia took a lot longer to warm up. But eventually, Chia moved to his clan to become a full time linguist and translator.

She loves her mate more than anything in the world. Their den is hidden in the way of Nocturne dens everywhere, which means she can finally relax enough to unwind at the end of a long day. She is the only one who's ever seen under his mask... and she'll never tell anyone what's under there.

Since she came home to Clan AXQU, Chia has gotten close to Seaiqa, the sister of Clan-head Ajax. Chia had no idea who she was at first, she just saw someone lonely who'd lost almost everything. She and Seaiqa had a lot in common, as it turns out, and soon became best friends. Chia didn't find out until much later that Seaiqa is related to the clan leaders, but Chia did notice that her and her husband's standard of living increased once Seaiqa came into their lives. Chia doesn't care, though. She just wants to hang out with her best friend.