Canna

User:Lyra the NightWing's hybrid OC for Isabelle's contest.
==Appearance==
If anyone had to pick one word to describe Canna’s physical appearance, it would most likely be either “tiny” or “confusing”. With burnt auburn scales that grow lighter near her snout and tail-spear, the brown, twisted gold-tipped LeafWing horns, and unusual body proportions, she isn’t a dragon that would catch another’s attention regularly, however, she is still rather odd in terms of looking normal, like many hybrids.
Like her SkyWing father, Canna has autumnal red scales, blending to a more vibrant, lighter raspberry color near her snout and tail. This coloring is not that unusual for a LeafWing during a warm winter, so she can pass off as a LeafWing, somewhat. Her scales do have a tendency to change color to a mix between red and dark green in especially hot weather, making them have an iridescent quality, and during a very cold winter, her scales will most likely fade to a brownish red, like dried blood. Her horns are long, thin, and pointed, just like a SkyWings, but they also have a slight crookedness to them - coming from her mother’s LeafWing side. They’re also very brittle, and Canna is always careful to cover them in case they break.
Once she unveils her wings, this is where things start to get weird. Canna’s wings aren’t exactly small and thick, but they aren’t suited for long, fast flying either, not being that aerodynamic or elongated. Their position is kind of crooked, the claws pointed down, the membranes being of varying thickness, which impacts her smooth-flying ability by a large margin, having an unstable and nonsymmetrical pair of wings. The membranes are roughly the same color as her stomach scales - a dark, glittering ruby, and the LeafWing veins are an irised gold, with leaf green accents.
Her tail is moderately long and has a tendency to lash about, which waves her tail-spear about dangerously. Of the LeafWing genes she’s retained, the tail-spear is one of them, and it sticks out prominently, a clean ivory color, spiraling into a sharper-than-normal point. Because her tail is long for her body, though, it weighs her down considerably when she is flying, and doesn’t help her control it that much, leaving her flying unstable and wobbly, even if she can fly rather fast, and glide for a longer period of time than normal SkyWings.
Instead of the thin spines LeafWings have down their backs, Canna has triangular-shaped, forest green spikes that melt in with her regular scales, inflexible and lapping over each other like a SkyWing’s. Her regular scales are a lot more rigid than a LeafWing’s, but still rather flexible. Her snout is sharp, angular, and elongated, unlike the soft lines of a LeafWing’s, her neck long and graceful, and her body lithe, muscular, and thin. With the SkyWing genes lengthening her short LeafWing arms (and talons), she is more proportionate than a regular LeafWing, but still is able to pass off as one.
However, she is much smaller and a lot more agile than the humongous SkyWings, making her a great spy. Her eyes are heterochromatic, her right eye being a dark hunter green and her left eye a pleasant, light leafy green. Both have hints of sky blue and amber throughout, a tribute to her SkyWing father. On her left foretalon is an acidic burn, scarred over from her childhood.
==History==
Unlike many other hybrids, Canna has had a rather normal life, minus all the familial drama and things, she could pass as a regular LeafWing. She was born in the SkyWing kingdom, near the palace, to Taiga - a LeafWing trader - and Saffron - a SkyWing diplomat. Happy and bubbly throughout her first years, she was an active dragonet who had the attention of both her parents, who was coddled and maybe even spoiled, although Saffron was away a lot. Though her wings were odd, and her tail was long, gradually she learned to fly with the help of Saffron, and to glide with the help of Taiga. Canna has been raised in two cultures - SkyWing and LeafWing - and has internalized the values of both as a result of her hybrid upbringing.
After many moons, her abilities started to manifest themselves in her long-range flammable spit, which Saffron once accidentally set on fire (once it starts to burn, it is very hard to stop). Taiga helped Canna control it, and over time she has learned the properties of this spit. However, for a few months it was out of control - hence the burn on her foot, when she was asleep and drooled on her talons, not wiping it off in time to stop the acid.
Her home life, however, fell apart soon after she started maturing. Dianthus had been looking for his mother and stumbled across Taiga and Canna, undercover at a SkyWing market. Canna was curious as to who this dragon was, and learned about her half-brother then. Saffron had been growing distant for quite some time, not visiting as much, not paying as much attention to the family as he used to. Once, he came back to Taiga and Canna with burns and scratches, and would not tell where he got them (it was from a fight with Magpie, who had discovered his cheating).
A few moons after, Taiga discovered that Saffron had a mate and had been deceiving her all this time. She loved Saffron very much and was not able to handle this betrayal very well, leading to her growing very distant from Canna, like Saffron. Canna started to hate Saffron and started to feel unconfident in herself and her family, started to feel unwanting. Also around this time, Canna had been going to school and learning about different identities - leading her to figure out she was grey asexual, though the realization was rather slow.
It wasn’t that she had a hard time with accepting herself. It was that she struggled with telling her family or not, and ultimately opted not to, out of fear of being rejected and mocked, of being abandoned.
The last time Canna would ever cooperate with Saffron and willingly see him was when he took her to see the newborn Altai and Ural, and her older half-sister Sierra. It was an awkward family reunion and Canna ended up running away temporarily.
During this absence from home, Canna was taken in by The Chambers, a group that helps the homeless, the veterans, the disabled, the bottom tier of Pyrrhia, and a group that also carries out underground assassination requests - and one that gets into fights with rival underground gangs regularly. She wanted to join it badly, and started training at their facilities, started learning how to be a spy and lie convincingly.
Eventually, though, Taiga came looking for her, regretful of her behavior after the Saffron incident. Canna, willing to give her a second chance, agreed to go home - and came back to a small egg in the nest, her younger, unborn sister Myrtle. While Canna was away, Taiga and Saffron had reconciled. And despite how Canna hated Saffron, she also wanted a younger sibling to play with, so she stayed until Myrtle was born.
And she fell in love with the tiny dragonet, like the rest of her family, nurturing and caring for her. Promising to protect her no matter what. And Myrtle fell ill during a storm, and Myrtle died in front of Canna - who was unable to do anything to save her little sister. And during the period after, one of immense grief, Saffron was still away. Still uncaring.
Right there and then, Canna made a vow to help save as many people as she could. And she joined The Chambers, was inaugurated as a new member, and slowly climbed to her current position as she is today. She, still caring about her siblings, goes to visit her family in the mountains often, as The Chambers aren’t located very far away.
Keep in mind that all her experiences has changed her personality from the innocent, näive, hopeful dragonet she once was to older, more weary version of her.
==Personality==
Canna is, to be put simply, the type of dragon that you’d just gloss over in a crowd. If not for her unusual looks, she would not attract any attention. Other dragons do notice her presence and such, but they do not take it as something special, rather, she tends to blend into the background, much like a statue. It’s only when she’s gone that dragons begin to realize just how much she does and how much she accomplishes.
She’s always moving, in a hurry to do this task or another, planning and wondering how to best do various things at once without wasting too much time. Canna hates going unnoticed, but she doesn’t know how to stop it, and her hard work is never fully appreciated. She always feels that she needs to do something substantial, something that will get her noticed by the entirety of Pyrrhia, to reach her full credentials, to be verified, to be noticed, to have her fantasies fulfilled.
This hybrid is a rather messy dragon, leaving things in a bigger, more confusing mess when she whirls through a room like a tornado. Despite being a tiny dragon, she can cause a lot of havoc, even without really trying, and she rather enjoys doing that to. Canna is not a shy dragon by any means, loving to get up and close in a dragon’s personal space - all so that they will remember her and her striking personality. She hates staying still for very long, loves talking, and many dragons have described her as a living chatterbox - that is, if they remember her at all.
Doing too many things or not, Canna rarely hears the words “Thank you!” or “I appreciate it!”. However, she’s noticed that doing outstanding things will get her those words a lot more than just giving up on winning and walking away, hence, she holds in her heart an extreme dislike for sitting around and being lazy. She also hates thinking too much about her feelings, which at least are almost always extremely clear and knowable to Canna, and rather than leaving her thoughts to herself, she projects them outwards - as a very open, honest dragon, she knows exactly what could happen leaving all her feelings on the ground for everyone to see.
Canna loves winning, in part because it gives her dragons’ attention, even if it is just for a few minutes. She loves how winning something can make an impression on dragons’ minds, and also loves how appearing a winner can inspire so many young dragonets. She isn’t the type to think before doing stuff, because there are so many things that she needs to do, and this very impulsive hybrid tends to rush straight-forwards into battle. This part of her also contributes greatly to her “not-backing-down” attitude towards fights and goals.
Usually, Canna is rather carefree from the concerns of life, not caring to experience the pressure of various tasks, preferring to just “wing it” in major events that many dragons would create a complicated plan for. She will take all the requests dragons have for her, but she rarely feels pressure to complete it on time. (She’s also always at least average at anything she does). Fluid and shifting, Canna can blend into anything and adapt easily to a weird situation, making her one of the go-to spies for her organization.
Canna, many times, has been upset that no matter how well she does, no matter how explosive she gets, dragons always just forget about her and gloss over her, like she’s a staple that is taken for granted. While she isn’t easy to anger, once someone says something provocative, she can’t help but get into an argument with them, and usually they don’t even consider her a worthy opponent. She hates how easily her precious work is taken for granted and used without a second thought to the dragon who accomplished everything.
Some of these experiences have molded her into a dragon who changes very quickly between moods and emotions, and a dragon who simply doesn’t have time to empathise with others’ feelings. She’s constantly looking to improve herself and her work, so that one day, dragons will finally take notice of her.
Often, Canna looks at the many examples of wonderful dragons who haven’t accomplished as much as she thinks she has, and scoffs at them, since - how come they were noticed and she wasn’t? Maybe because the world, great as it could be, just wasn’t fair. Maybe, then, she thought, she could play games with dragons. If the world isn’t fair to her, what dictates that she should be honest with dragons she hates?
Canna has a few obsessive-compulsive tendencies, thinking that with some tasks, she needs to do them perfectly, she needs to make things look just a certain way, before she can be finished with them and move on… she knows her habits are more than just a perfectionist’s habits, but she doesn’t really care, as long as she feels good after doing them.
She’s as careless with her mouth as she is with her actions, and she almost never watches what she says, many things come off as rude and crude because she doesn’t think before speaking. She’s brash, often bluffs her way through things she doesn’t know how to handle, and straight to the point, having no mercy with anyone.
With both her words and her movements, Canna can be described as rather capricious, manipulative, and unpredictable, then.
Although Canna is rather smart, she doesn’t know how to apply these smarts to the battlefield, or to strategy, as this hurts her head from the amount of thinking required for this. She isn’t a “creative” type of smart, not the type of dragon who can draw, or paint, or write, do anything artistic - instead, she charges head in and relies half on her instincts, using her experiences and her smarts to help her out. Her options are always open. Naturally, too, Canna is loud and vibrant, just as much as she is impulsive, leading her to wonder how dragons could just - not - notice her.
She really tries her best in everything she does, and she feels disappointed in herself and starts doubting her abilities when she doesn't live up to her (very high) expectations. A lot of times, she experiences imposter syndrome and doubts many aspects of herself, feeling like a shell that she's using to hide her true self.
==Relationships==
Taiga: Her LeafWing mother. Canna appreciates how she’s handled the grief and the hassle of being a mother and a parent, and how she tried her best to take care of Canna throughout her childhood, despite not really ever noticing her.
Saffron: Her SkyWing father. He, like many dragons, are distant, and was a side presence in her childhood. Like his namesake, he was fiery, sleek, and handsome, attracting attention almost naturally, something Canna admires greatly - despite how she dislike him for ignoring her, like many other dragons. Even through Myrtle’s death, he was distant and uncaring, leading Canna to ignore him. Canna would gladly tempt him into death if she got the chance.
Dianthus: Her full LeafWing older half-brother from Taiga’s previous mate, he and Canna have a deep sibling bond and, while they both annoy each other a lot, they love fooling around and having fun.
Myrtle: Her SkyWing/LeafWing younger sister. Canna holds a special place in her heart for Myrtle - who, after 2 years, fell ill and died. The entire family is burdened by the incredible grief from the vibrant, vivacious dragonet’s death, and Canna is no exception - perhaps, she experienced it all the more than her family, being the only one wanting another sibling desperately.
Altai: Her full SkyWing younger half-brother, he is rather weak and small compared to the rest of his family, and timid too. Canna likes him a lot and will sit with him looking at the mountains when she visits him, if he wants her too. While they do not have as deep of a bond as Dianthus and Canna, Altai still comes to Canna for life advice and such as a sort of a parent figure.
Ural: Her younger half-brother and Altai’s twin. Canna does not like Ural that much, as he constantly feels the need to assert his strength over Altai and brags a lot about his accomplishments. Canna has taken both twins, as well as their older sister, to visit The Chambers, and Ural has expressed interest in the group (Canna does hope he won’t join, as he would get on her nerves constantly), although that may just be because of Pomegranate, whom Ural seems to have a crush on.
Sierra: Saffron’s first child, a full SkyWing, and Canna’s older half-sister. They do not know each other very well, Sierra being busy with her schooling and her job. She seems like a cool older figure and is, like Momo, rather charismatic, attracting Canna’s envy of her. When the two see each other, they act very distant and awkward.
Magpie: Canna’s sort-of stepmother, 3/4th SkyWing, 1/8th NightWing, 1/8th IceWing, and Saffron’s former mate. Canna has only met Magpie once, and she has left a bad impression on Canna. Canna rather dislikes the SkyWing and does not like running into her.
Note: Saffron had a mate - Sierra, Altai, and Ural’s mother, named Magpie - whom he first had Sierra with, then cheated on with Taiga. Taiga previously had a mate named Hemlock, and they had Dianthus, however, he died of a heart attack. Canna was birthed, and Saffron went back to Magpie, they had Altai and Ural - and then Magpie found out about Saffron’s adultery, pushing him back to Taiga, who then had Myrtle. In order of oldest to youngest dragonets, this SkyWing/LeafWing clan goes: Dianthus, Sierra, Canna, Altai and Ural, Myrtle.
Momo: A RainWing fighter and spy, a comrade of Canna, they stand on equal fields and respect each other for their similar tenacity, combat abilities, and talent in sneaking around. However, this is where their similarities end - Momo is cheerful, outgoing, and all-around a rather charismatic and diplomatic dragon, being one of Nautilus’s key advisors, while Canna, while loving attention, has a very hard time getting it, and often says things thoughtlessly. They spar often, and Canna appreciates the company.
Nautilus: The SeaWing leader of The Chambers, once a high-standing member of the SeaWing nobility, Canna often does odd jobs for Nautilus that no one else can, and yet he still seems to want Canna to do more - and almost never commends her. However, he also taught her most of what she knows about fighting and spying, and so holds a grudging respect for him. He is Amaranth’s mate.
Pomegranate: A SkyWing healer and Canna’s roommate. He is level-headed and calming, preferring to think things through thoroughly before acting. He acts as a stabilizer to Canna’s chaoticness, and both have a mutual relationship where they push each other’s talents up and let them grow. He is also one of the treasurers and the head healer for The Chambers. He does have a goofy side and loves to try and matchmake dragons.
Amaranth: Pomegranate’s older brother, he is Nautilus’s other key advisor as well as his mate, and while he gets along well with Momo, both Pomegranate and Canna share a deep-veined dislike for the snarky, arrogant SkyWing, who constantly insults Canna and snubs Pomegranate. Begrudgingly, Canna will admit that he is one of the best fighters and logicians in The Chambers.
Flora: A LeafWing who bullied her when she was young for her hybrid status and the gloom attitude she carried with her as a result as the bullying. Canna hates Flora with a passion and has gotten into more than a few fights with them - while Flora isn’t in The Chambers, the LeafWing grew up to become a major producer of the foods that The Chambers buy to sustain their troops, and Canna is often sent to pick up shipments, and runs into Flora more than she would like. Both are stubborn, proud of themselves and hate backing down.
Mori: A MudWing trader and shopkeeper whom Canna hates. He used to push Canna around when she went to pick up whatever materials The Chambers needed, and when he betrayed The Chambers by taking inside information to enemies and endangering the group, Canna just grew to hate him a lot more. An imposing, scheming dragon, he’s always been on Canna’s bad side, and she hopes to get the chance to fight him one day. This is another dragon she would manipulative into prison or injury without a second thought.
==Powers and Abilities==
Canna is not a very powerful dragon, if she admits it. As a hybrid, she doesn’t have the powers of her parents, she can’t glide as long as a LeafWing or fly as fast as a SkyWing. However, she does have a very sharp tail-spear that serves as a dagger in tough spots and can even be used to bring down an easy enemy in battle - at least, it serves as a painful distraction. She takes good care of her claws, which may be her most powerful weapon in battle, as they are long, sharp, and strong. She is able to retract them somewhat in case they get in the way, but that causes some pain for her.
One big advantage she has on a battlefield is that she is small of stature, causing her to go unnoticed, and letting her slip and dance around bigger, more clumsier enemies. Her reaction time is also rather fast, allowing her to move from one place to another very quickly, unseen.
She does not have the sticky spit of LeafWings, nor the explosive fire of the SkyWings, but a combination of the two. Instead of her spit being sticky, she can spit it out approximately 5 feet away at maximum, and it is mildly corrosive, maybe two times weaker than a RainWing’s spit - as well as being rather flammable. It can be sticky, however, it is more like a rather mild glue. It is not impervious to fire or ice. However, it also painfully burns her mouth and tongue when she uses it, and she prefers to use it only when necessary.
Canna is very good at fighting, though, having trained intensely for a long time due to her lack of powers. However, her senses of smell and taste are dulled, maybe because of a genetic mutation - the good thing is, her hearing is superb, though her vision is a little below average. She’s coordinated and knows how to control her body when fighting.
==Trivia==
-Canna loves reading, writing, and interpreting poetry
-She secretly thinks that Pomegranate and Ural would be good together, but doesn’t feel like actively trying to get them together. That, of course, doesn't include subtle nudges.
-One time, Momo took Canna to get one of her poems published, stating that it was Canna’s poem. The editors of the literary journal credited it to Momo.
-While she doesn’t daydream, she does love to imagine herself as a well-known dragon, loved by many.
-The timeline she is in in one where the Jade Mountain Academy is open - that is, the canon timeline. However, if she were in Modern Pyrrhia, she would wear mostly bright pastels, peasant-style blouse tops and shorts, and be that person who went viral on Vine only to be forgotten a few weeks after.
-Canna actually has an amazing singing voice
-Her personality was inspired by mostly Lance McClain from Voltron, with a tiny bit of Keith mixed in. (Honestly, I was just thinking of him and wrote her that way.)
==Gallery==
Category:Hybrids
Category:Content (Lyra the NightWing)
Category:Females
Category:Dragonets
Category:SkyWings
Category:Occupation (Spy)
Category:Characters
Category:LGBT+
Category:Inspired by Fiction
Category:Tribeless
Category:Occupation (Soldier)