Amadeo

One would be hard-pressed to find a more loyal friend than Amadeo, almost to a fault; he is totally blind to someone's faults as soon as he decides he loves them, and every growing-apart breaks his heart for a while. Even with strangers, Amadeo considers his defining trait to be empathy; he knows his own strength, and sees it as a responsibility to protect those weaker than he is. That and his natural stubbornness have led him to be taken advantage of, especially in youth; he has better boundaries in his adult life.

Although not unintelligent, Amadeo would never be as brilliant as his sister Mitta. Her academic talents naturally outshone his, but what he lacked in precocious genius he made up for with gregariousness and a stubborn refusal to quit even when behind. He had a happy childhood, though; his parents never favored one child over another that he could tell, and he was especially close to his mother, from whom he learned most of the basic life skills that let him be extra handy and self-sufficient in adulthood.

Her death was the formative tragedy of his youth. It took him years to process and grieve her loss. Amadeo couldn't handle his own grief, let alone be a rock to the rest of his family. As soon as Desnia passed, before the funeral, he left home in the middle of the night with no explanation.

He threw himself into pursuing a sales career (where his natural charm could be honed to a fine edge) and a hobby of combat sports. He doesn't have some sort of secret darkness, resentment, or bloodlust in him, but getting his adrenaline pumping via gladiatorial combat makes Amadeo feel alive in a way nothing else can. The movements are complex, but the concept is simplicity itself, older than even the gods. Several of his clients have been surprised to attend the Warrior's Way and see Amadeo toward the front of the pack.

In his off time, Amadeo enjoys perusing secondhand fine fashion and outfitting himself in flattering, high-quality clothing. He also enjoys writing letters to his many friends across Sornieth, and to his family, with whom he is trying to build a close relationship in adulthood.

The only exceptions are Mitta... and his mother. Of course, he reasons, it's lovely to have her back, even if she looks... different. And he did skip town immediately, leaving Mitta and their other sibling to handle grieving all on their own. And it took years to find him again while he was coping and processing. But... he has no idea how to process the fact that his younger sister won't ever grow, and his mom is now a living plush toy. Amadeo partially blames himself for leaving, but he knows he can't do anything about it now. Dedicating himself to charity work has helped ease his discomfort. Amadeo likes to volunteer with the Snapper Save where he can. It's well run, and having a safe place for members of his breed to go when they're displaced from their original homes is a sorely needed service he believes in.