Massi

**Ealamassi “Massi” Iltasaddaqqartum**is the chef aboard the Defiance as of Andromeda Burning.

## Biography

Ealamassi began life much like most any other Gorialax—meandering from the arms of the relative serving as midwife straight into a communal nursery filled with her brothers and sisters. Even in the distant reaches of the Tegukin system, the Federation’s education system finds its way. And so, she received the galactic standard of education. Though her teachers were naturally limited by proximity, familial aid was always ready to fill in the gaps. Given that she lived in one of the last inhabited regions before the vast ice caps, Ealamassi, like many other Te-Gorial in similar situations, had the benefit, or perhaps misfortune, of an accelerated school curriculum. Indeed, before her departure, she was on track to formally graduate almost two years ahead of schedule.

But, the circumstances of her departure are perhaps the most interesting. Though, particularly on Tegukin, teen pregnancy is not necessarily taboo, and intercourse within the clan may occur, Ealamassi’s situation was somewhat different. Though conceiving with one of her “brothers” at age 15 was, though not ideal, also not horrible culturally, her utter disinterest in acting as one of the nannies in the nursery given that she was now an expecting mother took much of her family aback, as it is generally a job taken with pleasure by expecting parents, men and women alike.

Instead, Massi had, in her mind, better things to do. All kids are everyone’s kids, as it goes for the Gorialax. After giving birth, she soon volunteered to head into the nearest major settlement with a kilometre-long list of things to buy. She stuffed the largest suitcase she could find with all of her belongings of any meaning to her, and, after lying to say it was to help carry things, left with wads of cash in hand for the purchases. However, she never did return. Instead, she kept riding the underground tracks all the way to the spaceport. There, she purchased tickets off the world, and hopped from place to place, looking for decent work. Finally, at Beachhead Station, she was unable to muster enough money for another ticket to continue cursory searches for tickets, and so she finally found work as a chef aboard the Defiance, although the price she had to offer did not bring her much joy.

## Appearance

Although by Te-Gorialax standards lanky, Massi is a fairly healthy, if small Gorial. Standing at a petite 145(4’9”) and weighing 29kgs(64lbs), she’s certainly no heavyweight, but, though her torso is quite thin, she holds true to the strong lower body of the Gorialax with a broad-hipped, stoic lower half, giving her a distinctive delicate pear shape. Her hands, though otherwise dainty and well groomed with inky black painted nails, have calloused palms like those of an outdoorsman. She has slightly larger than average incisors, and a chipped canine tooth.

## Personal

### Personality

Something of a disillusioned perfectionist, Massi values quality, and endeavours to put it into her work, but sometimes haphazardly rush things she finds particularly frustrating. Regardless, she understands the value of a good first impression, and does her best to charm her elders with a smile, a lighthearted greeting, and many an appropriate joke. As she becomes more settled, other aspects of her personality begin to show more clearly. When all cards are down, she has the mouth of a sailor, and a propensity for dismissing criticism when she thinks someone doesn’t know what they’re talking about. “Well do you wanna show me how to do it then?” is a common response of hers with people she dislikes, emblematic of her “if you don’t like it my way, do it yourself” attitude. That said, when she does consider someone more knowledgeable than her, or she herself is dissatisfied with her work, she will not hesitate to ask a myriad of questions. Like most Gorialax, she is a very intimate person, and most naturally greets with hugs and kisses. Of course, she understands that others may not necessarily appreciate it, but it remains her default.

### Skills

Massi is a resourceful and generally excellent cook. Having grown up on Tegukin, she’s a capable survivalist, decent with natural remedies, and a good shot to boot. She’s a good singer with a surprisingly rich singing voice and wide vocal range, plays the Gishgiidazami(Also known as the Gishazmi, a string instrument resembling morin khuur, albeit with different aesthetic appearance), and is a good whistler. Using her slightly large front teeth, she can use her bottom lip and sound as if she is playing the kazoo.

### Weaknesses

Massi isn’t very physically strong. Personality-wise, she has a bit of a temper when it comes to inanimate objects, and can be rather flippant at times. Although she’s a keen learner, her attention span is limited somewhat, and hotter temperatures make her sluggish and exacerbate her orthostatic hypotension.