"Objectivity allows us to make unclouded assessments. I'm sorry if you think that means I don't care. I assure you if I knew how to convey how I feel, I would. It seems to make people's lives much easier."
— Temperance Brennan, Bones
BASICS
NAME: Shaia
GENDER: Female
PRONOUNS: she/her/hers
ORIENTATION: Heteroromantic Bisexual
BIRTHDATE: Winter 2736
AGE: 35, 35 as of Fall 2772
LOCATION: Fort Weyr
OCCUPATION: Wingrider, Journeywoman Healer
WING: Healer's Wing
APPEARANCE
EYES: Brown
HAIR: Brown
HEIGHT AND BUILD: 5'4", slender
PLAY-BY: Catherine Haena Kim
FULL APPEARANCE: Shaia is petite, only 5'4", with a slighter build that many of the thread fighting riders. She's strong enough, but given her position in the healers wing and her dedication to her work, she's no stronger than she needs to be to fulfil that role.
Her eyes are a dark brown and her hair is of a similar shade. Her hair, when loose reaches her mid back, but typically it is pulled back into a tight bun at the nap of her neck - it's a tidy, practical, convenient style that stops it getting in the way or interfering in her work.
Her clothing is likewise practical, though often leaning towards the more form fitting. Again, loose clothing just gets in the way, but while her outfits are typically chosen for function over fashion, that's not to say she's completely void of moments of vanity.
PERSONALITY
PERSONALITY: Exceedingly clever, with a good mind for facts and figures, Shaia is also strongly literal - prone to speaking directly and bluntly, often with little sugar coating. She struggles with the use of metaphors and sarcasm, never using them herself and often missing them when they are used by others.
As a consequence, when Shaia speaks she can often come across as arrogant and judgemental, not afraid to say aloud that she thinks someone should have done something differently, or maybe isn't suited to the role they've landed themselves in. Age has tempered this, as has Altieth, but only in the sense that she has learnt that sometimes it is best to hold her tongue - potentially falling silent mid conversation rather that continuing to say what she is really thinking. Her face often gives her away even then however, as she doesn't guard her expressions well and lying doesn't sit well with her.
At times Shaia won't even notice that she has upset someone, but even when she does notice, she often struggles to understand why they've been upset. She's come to lean on Altieth for guidance in these times, accepting the blue's advice willingly and recognising that he understands these things far better than she ever will. If Altieth suggests she should appologise to someone, she often will, but it is rare that the need to do so will occur to her without his encouragement.
She does, in her way, care about people - never setting out to be rude or unkind to anyone. She wants to help, but often struggles to know how. Again, Altieth's guidance is invaluable to her and she values him above anyone. Indeed, she adores the blue with a depth of feeling that she doesn't feel anything close to for anyone else. He understands her and she is deeply grateful for that.
HISTORY
FAMILY: Father: Kimque, Master Healer, deceased
Mother: Kincera, Journeywoman Healer, deceased
Siblings: Numerous, unspecified details (some deceased).
SIGNIFICANT OTHER: None
BIRTHPLACE: Healer Hall
HISTORY: Born in the Healer Hall to a pair of healers, it was evident early on that Shaia would follow in their footsteps and join them in their craft. Which she did, apprenticing as soon as the Hall would allow it, taking to her studies like a duck to water.
Her apprenticeship was, for the most part unremarkable, she was clever - absorbing knowledge like a sieve and the theoretical side of her studies proved to be an area in which she had little trouble. Likewise, the practical application of treatments posed little difficulty to her either, Shaia having no difficulty seperating the injury from the patient in her mind. The caring, nurturing side of her craft however, that was where Shaia struggled - struggling to realise that patients needed reassurance, comfort - in her mind, wasn't that what they had family for? Friends?
This improved, slighty, during her apprenticeship, but she would never become the most reasuring of healers - always maintaining a practical efficiency to her work. Work that was otherwise good, and as such Shaia walked the tables a little before her twenty second turnsday - finding herself posted to a Sea Hold in the Fort territory a few days later.
Barely there a month before the search dragons picked her out as a potential candidate, Shaia accepted readily - it was a chance to meet and study from a whole other group of healers, with a whole other set of injuries and experiences. Yes, a dragon would be lovely of course, and she did like the idea of someone understanding her completely, but it was almost a secondary objective.
So, Shaia made use of the time she spend in candidacy, not minding in the slightest that it was nearly three turns before Altieth found her. She kept busy and honestly... while she adored Altieth, and he was clearly the most talented blue to ever grace the sands of Fort, she didn't enjoy Weyrlinghood. Everything took so much time and she was definitely relieved when they finally graduated and she could rededicate most of her time to her first love - healing.
It could be said that Shaia was in her element during the plague that befell Pern in the summer of 2764. While she wasn't oblivious to the losses people were suffering - indeed, in her own way she privately grieved for those lost - outwardly she maintained her professional detachment throughout. Saddened, but also almost fascinated by the progress of the disease, even curious about how it would impact the treatment of future diseases.
The turns that followed felt almost boring as a result. Which was a sentiment she came to understand was one she shouldn't share, even around those people who knew her well. The thoughts remained however, and on a few occasions over the following turns she considered transferring to Semaca, but Altieth wanted to stay at Fort and ultimately, for all that she wasn't the best at showing it, Altieth's happiness was important to her.
So, at Fort they stayed, digging in and doing their part as and where needed. The political and interpersonal occurrences of the Weyr, and Pern at large, escape Shaia's notice for the most part - there is always a need for healers, for large or small things, so her world continues as it always did.
