Background

In Chicago on the early morning of March 18th, 1974, Soraie Ryū was born too soon. Premature and fragile, her tiny heart acting up in ways that worried the doctors. The NICU became her first home. An ECG revealed unsteady rhythm and doctors suspected Romano Ward syndrome, genetic condition that delayed the heart recharge between beats. Her parents had to crush tiny beta blockers into her milk. Sora's hearing was also affected and she showed little response to sounds. Her mother, Aiko, started to prepare her for life with gentle lessons. She taught Sora ASL as soon as possible, pressing simple signs into tiny palms since she was in the crib. Bedtime stories told by dancing hands under a lamplight, lullabies sung low so Sora could feel the vibrations as she laid on Aiko's chest. Her father, Hiroshi, worked double shifts as a mechanic to afford meds and future care, but exhaustion would always vanish from him when he saw her. His hugs smelled of motor oil. He learned basic signs for her, but Sora learned too quick and soon he couldn't follow. At four, Sora received her first hearing aids. Voices gained shape and she fell in love with music, even if it was muffled. Old ballads from her parents land, heavy metal playing so loud Aiko wished she was deaf instead, neighbors morning jazz started her days. Aiko taught her how to speak and articulate in English now that Sora could hear herself. School went smoothly with her parents support and assigned instructor that taught her how to read lips once she became fluent in ASL. Despite her differences, she never had problems fitting in. Wearing her hearing aids proudly, even if kids were harsh. Around age ten, her condition worsened. Weakness with breathless pauses, play times followed with palpitations until one chase ended in blackout. Medication was no longer enough and the doctors had to implant pacemaker. Beta blockers doses increased and sharp pain followed. Medical expanses grew larger and Aiko had to return to work, leaving Sora mostly housebound. To keep her occupied, Aiko filled her days with guitar and Spanish lessons, after she noticed how much Sora was fascinated by both. Spanish was also required by school, but Sora learnt too fast, and quickly started complaining her class is progressing too slow. She understood grammar fast, took expanding her vocabulary as competition, but she heavily lacked confidence to speak it, constantly worried she is gonna butcher pronunciation. But that would eventually have to change once Sora turned sixteen. Her parents could no longer afford her care and they placed her into group home for kids with disabilities. Sora protested, but Mama Rosa, the main caretaker eventually won her over with her kindness. Kids under Rosas care were mostly Mexican, so Sora stayed glued to Rosas side, slowly building up her confidence until she no longer needed Rosa as her speaker. Sora loved the kids and especially the youngest twins. Almost nonverbal Tadeo and Sofía, that she would teach basic ASL so they could communicate their needs. Tadeo kept calling her "Spark", and soon, the nickname Chispa replaced Soras name. Her parents suddenly went no contact and Chispa didn't pay it much attention. It wasn't the first time. When Rosas husband suddenly passed, the funds for the home dwindled. Rosa was forced to send her kids to different care homes, and it took toll on her. Chispa would find her drinking the sorrows away, wine switching to hard liquor. When Chispa discovered Rosa was trying to set her up into foster care, argument broke out, and she ran away for weeks. When she returned, she found Rosa already deceased. Alcohol bottles piled up around her body. Police placed Chispa in foster care, where she shut off completely. Once she could, she cashed out her savings, and left. Traveling the states underground parties drew her in and she slowly gained her joy back even though her heart kept limiting her. Shelters were unsafe and couches unreliable for the dangers of being robbed. When the Kentucky winter of 1991 set in, Katarina Nevtelen found her on the streets, freezing. She took her into an abandoned factory, which was turned into a home by a gang called the Blacksheep. Outcasts, criminals, but people Chispa felt like she belonged to. She stayed on and off, still trying to finish school and find her parents, until she finally settled permanently by the end of the following year. Crime was new for her and she started small. Stealing car radios and anything she could resell. Cars followed once she got the courage. In the March of 1993, she found her moms latest address, just few states away. She packed lightly, prepared her truck and went to inform her new family, but something felt off... A loud pounding got picked up by her hearing aids and distorted sound she could not name. Before she could go and figure it out, her people dragged her away. No explanations, just the distorted sound replaying in her head...