Post by arriden on Mar 18, 2010 4:14:13 GMT -5
Canon/OC Character Application
Character name: Wang Yao [People's Republic of China]
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Height: 169 cm (est. 5'5 ft)
Weight: 55 kg (121 pounds)
Appearance:
Yao has an appearance typical of those of Chinese descent, brown hair so dark as to appear black, and brown eyes. His gaze shows great wisdom for his apparent youth, and can set people on edge despite his usual cheerful expression. It is easy to identify Yao, as he usually wears his hair in a ponytail and dresses in an embroidered red mandarin jacket with gold stitching and white pants.
He carries a backpack with him, to store all his handy items and various things needed for his journey. Due to his travels around the realm, he has picked up many useful bits of information, as well as different items, each with a different ability when mixed with other items. The backpack was a gift to him from one of the wanderers he had met in his travels, it has a panda motif on it and bamboo stripes down its sides. It is so dear that Yao is rarely seen without it.
Personality:
Yao's default mood is cheerful, his optimism hasn't been spoiled by his travels, despite encountering thieves and swindlers alike, as he has also met good people on the road. Having been independent for some time, he learned cooking out of necessity, and became proficient enough in it that he likes to share his food with others. He believes that food is the most important thing in life, and places it as one of his top priorities.
When remembering the past, especially where painful events are concerned, he may become depressed and lose his cheerful mood for a while. However, with a little encouragement, he will return to normal. A certain mood booster is the mention of food, another is that of new items to discover.
One of his goals is to find and collect all the items he can. After finding an item, he ascertains its value, places it in his backpack, and doesn't bother with it until others request a trade for it. Thus, there are many odds and end tucked away in his backpack. He is like a pack rat in this manner, except he is willing to part with his items for the right price. This method of living has, of course, made him considerably wealthy, as he takes care not to spend extravagantly.
Something that is sure to make him mad is when he is mistaken for a Japanese, Korean, or Taiwanese. Another point of contention is when Taiwan is considered to be a separate country from China. He is still firmly of the belief that Taiwan is part of China, and will argue fervently on this point.
Any English or Japanese people make him a little wary, as he was raised on tales of their crimes against the Chinese people. The Opium Wars and the Rape of Nanking are very sore spots for him, and he will defend the valor of his countrymen fiercely.
He is not particularly interested in starting relationships, having had one end badly after his wanderlust struck. However, if the special man or lady comes along, he might be moved into love again. He is also somewhat oblivious to advances made towards him, as his mind does not rest on that subject often. That does not mean he is inexperienced, as his lessons included those of the night. One of his male teachers made him quite open-minded, so he is open to both genders.
A particular quirk of his is that of attaching 'aru' at the end of his speech. The habit carried over naturally from his native language, Chinese, as it is often added to the end of sentences. Some find it annoying and some find it cute, but no one has pointed it out to him as they think he's doing it on purpose. However, it is totally unintentional, and it is unlikely that he would change his speech even if it is pointed out to him.
Class: Alchemist, Adventurer
Likes:
-Food with variety
-Cooking
-Pandas
-Red
-Family
-Respect for the elderly
-Treasure hunting
Dislikes:
-Poorly cooked food
-Disrespectful children
-Conflict
-Unfounded arrogance
-Losing things
-Bullies
-Being mistaken as non-Chinese
Strengths:
Wisdom: He has a wisdom beyond his age, most likely due to his constant travels since he was 12. Traveling on the road exposed him to various experiences, and a great many different types of people. Along the way, he learned from them, or learned from the lessons they left after cheating him.
Foresight: He packs everything he assumes he would need before traveling to a new place. When disaster strikes, he's usually well-prepared to get past it. This has happened often enough for him to make full preparation a habit.
Cooking: Yao is quite good at cooking, as he has been taking care of himself on the road all these years, and learned how to cook out of necessity. He also met a few cooks who taught him how to flavor his food with spices, whether store-bought or scavenged from the forest. He is keen with trying out new recipes, and is quite open to new ideas for his cooking.
Agility: His time spent with a gypsy tribe has given him techniques to dodge attacks, and his endurance was trained through his constant travels. After getting beat up by bandits a few times, he became determined to be fast. This resulted in his greater speed, though his physical power remains normal.
Weaknesses:
Traditional mindset: As he was raised by traditionalist parents, he adopted their mindset. He is quite conservative when it comes to accepting Western culture, and is rather vocal with his complaints if he sees young Asian women wearing revealing outfits. Another part of this is that he believes men are superior to women, and that women should stay home to be good wives.
Weak to Women: He was always taught to treat women properly, and it was beaten into him by his mother after he played too roughly with one of the girls in the neighborhood. He remembers the lesson still, with fond memory, so he follows his mother's words and dares not stray from them. However, since meeting a few unscrupulous women who took advantage of his kindness, he has learned to discriminate a little between women. He tends to bend to the whims of women though, as long as it is not in conflict with his priorities.
Stubborn: After being proven to be right on a number of times, thanks to his street smarts learned from his travels, he has come to believe that he is always right, and refuses to budge on any views that he believes in. It would take a tremendous effort to change his mind on anything, except cooking.
Wanderlust: He has gotten used to traveling, and cannot settle down in one place. There is always much to see, much to do, and new places to explore somewhere. Not even the temptation of a lovely wife can call him to ground, thus he remains free and unfettered by love. However, this has lead to him growing lonely, as he has not yet found companions that can withstand his way of life.
History:
Yao was born to a middle-class family, and his parents were traditionalist Chinese. They taught him the values that should be upheld above all else, of which family ranked the highest. After they passed away when he was but a young boy, he packed up all they had and left their home.
He had always been told to be brave, to be a real man, so he picked up his courage and began traveling, hoping to find an answer to his many questions. He wondered why his parents had died, he wondered why no one came forth to help him, and mostly, he wondered how he would live. Over the next few years, he found his answers and more.
A band of traveling gypsies picked him up first, but he found that their rowdy lifestyle didn't suit him and left after a year. He came away with techniques to dodge hits and to hold his liquor. Many acquaintances and friends have since come and gone, but he still remains alone. Mentors have advised him to find a companion, lest he go crazy from the rigor and oft lonely road. However, he only smiled and politely thanked them for their instruction.
A dream he has held close to his heart, is that of building a family of his own again. His mind has lent him the fantasy of having many siblings, but the reality is that he doesn't stay long enough to form close bonds even with those he can call friends. Thus far, he has not found anyone suitable for it, nor has he found interest in anyone he has met.
For the moment, he has temporarily set up a roadside stall at the Marketplace, though that may change when his wanderlust takes over.
Sample Post:
The man clad in red stared out at the passing crowd, his fingers tapping restlessly against his knee as the minutes dragged by like hours. Wares were displayed before him on a bright red cloth, any and every item ever thought of twinkling under the afternoon sun and awaiting the scrutiny of customers. The fingers stopped their tapping as the man shielded his eyes from the harsh sunlight and gazed at the thinning crowd.
It had been an unusually slow day, and he was starting to lose hope of selling off the items he had found on his last trip to the deep dungeons. Sighing only served to deepen his ennui, while people-watching had lost its interest an hour ago. There was nothing to do but wait, and though he considered himself a man of adequate patience, it was quickly fading like the small breeze that had been blowing past.
Fanning himself with a limited edition fan, he pursed his lips and tried to pick out familiar faces from the crowd. Ah, there was the man who had browsed over his glassware and taken a wooden flute instead. Then the woman who had only stared at his face and left. He wondered about her for a moment, before deciding it wasn't worth his attention.
Finally, another customer approached him, and he smiled warmly at her. If she bought something, she would be his fourth customer for the day, a far cry from his usual twenty customers. He put forth a query, knowing that good service was more likely to bring him more customers.
"Good afternoon, miss. Has something caught your eye aru?"
Yao was startled as she held his gaze for but a moment, before moving away skittishly. A childish pout took over his lips and he glared at the nearest object, which happened to be his backpack. Grimacing, he decided to pack up and hope the new day brought better business.
As he was folding his red cloth, a small crystal ball that had escaped his notice escaped from its folds, and rolled off. Surprised, he grabbed his full backpack and ran after the little ball. Dodging the few people still around, he chased after the magic crystal without pause. It seemed to taunt him, moving slowly when he was far behind, and picking up speed when he was almost there. Eventually, it rolled to a stop in front of a little girl.
She picked it up, enchanted by its sparkle, and was startled when Yao came to a stop in front of her. Her eyes widened and she stared up at him fearfully, pudgy hand gripping the crystal tightly. The man could only sigh at the sight, and smiled crookedly.
"That was mine aru, but you can have it, little girl."
An instant smile bloomed on her lips, and she grinned happily at him before returning to her mother's side. He could feel his lips twitch into a genuine smile in return, and he turned to walk back to his lodgings with a lighter heart. In the end, it wasn't such a bad day after all.
[Britannia Beam! <3]