Hybrid genetics are weird.

In another life, Dahlia would have been a professional athlete. She ran track and field for much of high school, and was considered to be a rising star both in the hundred-meter dash and the high jump. The only thing that stopped her was herself; after making the personal decision to go off of puberty blockers and decide her identity for herself, her body rapidly decided to make up for lost time. Her balance and topography shifted too quickly for her to keep up, and by the time she graduated she had to admit she couldn't be who she wanted while still maintaining a build that could compete.

This had its own upsides, however; her fixations on her own body, and how her movements had to change to minimize bouncing and maintain a smooth gait led to a fascination with movement as a whole. It led to her interest in kinetics, which led her to robotics, which led to her becoming one of the finest minds in the field. Not many people can say that they found their calling because of an inconveniently large chest, but Dahlia Verrick has no regrets.

While her passions have shifted over the years, Dahlia still enjoys keeping herself in shape, and is still capable of feats that one would not expect from someone of her stature or proportions. She is a common sight on campus, vaulting over fences and kicking off of walls as she moves between service calls, preferring to use this as an excuse for action rather than simply perform her work via telepresence.

Art: RuthRedmane (Patreon)