Grimm, politics, prejudice… There’s a lot to be pessimistic about in Remnant. With all these ills being so prevalent, it’s no wonder so many of its inhabitants are cynics. Chenoa Paige used to be among them, but it’s amazing how infectious the optimism of close friends can be.

Chenoa Paige was a member among one of the many Faunus families displaced by the Great War. She was born in Menagerie, after her parents were herded there from their home in Mistral. Learning about the war from her family grew her distaste of nations and big government. She couldn’t understand how such a miserable conflict could come about over something as simple as land, and how a government of the few could determine the lives of many. Her father was a hunter, a fact she and her family were very proud of. Initially, whenever her father got work in Mistral she’d beg him to let her come along. After some convincing he obliged, but Chenoa was in for a rude awakening. She and her father couldn’t go anywhere without attracting negative attention. Their Faunus features flagging them as lesser to the citizenry of Mistral. Chenoa’s attitude dampened past these experiences, and it was a wonder to her how her father ever got work in Mistral at all. But his work shortly came to an end, a mishap during a mission causing her father grievous injury and subsequent retirement. This event jaded Chenoa even further, and she likely would’ve resigned herself to a quiet life in Menagerie if she hadn’t met a boy named Rowan during one of her trips to Mistral. They were introduced to each other during both of their early teenage years, where they had taken different approaches to their attitudes. Rowan was excited about his growing strength and career opportunities while Chenoa, given her experiences, had taken on a stereotypical apathetic personality. The two grew close in this short span of time however, and the idea of becoming hunters together began to float around in their minds. Eventually Rowan managed to convince Chenoa to give it a shot, receiving training and her weapon from her father, though she hadn’t shared the optimism about the impact they would have on the future until Rowan introduced Chenoa to Slate, heir of the Washburn Shipping company. With an influential figure on their side, the idea of improving circumstances in Mistral became more than just a dream, and in the back of her head she thought that maybe her idea of a world free from arbitrary treatment and borders could be a reality.

Even as a child, Chenoa had always been attuned to her surroundings. She felt every stare, kind or unpleasant. Heard every whisper, creak, and chirp in her environment, and deciphered every smell in the air. She often had trouble sleeping due to her acute awareness of the sound around her, alongside extensive feeling in almost every inch of her body. What afflicted her in the past became a blessing in the present. Her keen awareness of her environment perfectly suiting her for the role of sniper, given her incredible eyesight (and nightvision as a Faunus!), hearing, smelling and feeling, she can easily detect anyone and anything out of place. As if this incredible sense wasn’t enough, her semblance grants her near 360 vision within a certain range. Her rifle, gifted to her by her father, shoots high caliber rounds capable of piercing the skin of even the toughest Grimm.

At Beacon, Chenoa notices everything. Every word said about her or others, the looks she gets from other students, the movement patterns of the student body, and even the most minute detail of a given course. You couldn’t tell how much she notices by looking at her however. Usually she maintains a blank stare, speaking in monotone, and delivering jokes in deadpan. Partially because she finds it entertaining to mess with people this way, but also because she’s quite reserved. Noticing a lot of things means you process a lot of things, and she always thinks before she speaks; unless she’s among close friends.

Chenoa and Rowan had been close friends for a while, but it was only shortly before attending Beacon before the two officially started dating. Chenoa enjoys Rowan’s company, his impressive feats of engineering, and his immense strength, but part of her feels guilty for doing so. Rowan often goes out of his way to try and impress her, and while she tries to shower him with praise, she feels she hasn’t made the effort to reciprocate. Rowan assures her she doesn’t have to, but she can’t help but feel bad not being able to do the things Rowan does for her in return.