Name
Ming Xiu
Nickname
N/A
Age
22
Gender
Female
Primary Element
Water Bending
Secondary Element
Plant Bending
Appearance
Ming is a slightly below average height olive skinned young woman with dark, moody eyes that seem to cut you with their glare. Her body is quite sturdy in its build, and is the type to gain muscle easily. She has dark hair to match her eyes, cut short to be kept out of the way of her work and stylishly messy in a sense that she doesn't want others to know that she cares about her appearance.
Usually she can be seen wearing a white 3/4th sleeved tunic tucked into a teal skirt that's tied off with a crimson sash. Beneath the open skirt are thin black shorts worn for the sake of the sport in her occupation. Brown, well worn sandals are what protect her feet while just above them are bandage wrappings to protect her ankles fro rolling when she runs. Ming wears minimal jewelry, one thin and one thick golden bracelet on each hand--the thick intending to keep a leather glove wrapping around her middle finger in place--and a red rosary "crown" carefully pinned onto her head.
Usually she can be seen wearing a white 3/4th sleeved tunic tucked into a teal skirt that's tied off with a crimson sash. Beneath the open skirt are thin black shorts worn for the sake of the sport in her occupation. Brown, well worn sandals are what protect her feet while just above them are bandage wrappings to protect her ankles fro rolling when she runs. Ming wears minimal jewelry, one thin and one thick golden bracelet on each hand--the thick intending to keep a leather glove wrapping around her middle finger in place--and a red rosary "crown" carefully pinned onto her head.
Likes
-Hard work, or rather, the rewards that come with it
-Exploring
-Free Food.... and drinking contests that lead to free food
-Fighting, the adrenaline rush, having your life on the line... it's incredibly addicting.
-Learning new things
Dislikes
-Cats. Any mixed breed having to do with them; catpigs, dogcats, catbears, etc.
-Stuck up women.
-Working hard only to be met with no benefit
-Studying history
-Poetry
Strengths
-A very dedicated and hard worker
-Physically capable of defending herself without bending
-Very loyal to anyone who's become her friend
Weaknesses
-Has a hard time telling anyone 'No'
-Easily persuaded into doing someone else's work for them (on the promise of food)
-Her spontaneity
Personality
Ming is a hard worker who always puts 110% into everything she does. She's passionate, fiery, and never backs down from a challenge. In fact, one could say she welcomes it. She's bull headed at times, blatantly running and jumping into anything she does at full force. Half the time it costs her dearly, the other half winds up being beneficial to her and she's yet to change her methods of choosing her life's direction. She's a food fanatic and constantly hungry, at times allowing herself to be swayed into decisions just on the promise of food alone. Though she's gluttonous and stubborn, she's got a good heart and genuinely cares about the wellbeing of others regardless of her relationship to them.
Background
Roughly two decades ago, the Merchant Jian and his waterbending wife Fu of the Northern Tribe traversed to Ba Sing Se to sell their wood wares courtesy of the Swamp Benders they remained in good relations to. Their stall was quite prosperous and their dreams of being successful in the sprawling city had come to light. One particularly busy day in which Jian and Fu both were required at the head of their stall, the toddler aged Ming was left unattended for the slightest of moments before being spirited away by a hired firebenders hand. Jian and Fu had stirred up the competition in the woodworking stalls and the opposing Earthbending merchant had arranged for a ransom. In exchange for the merchant couple to leave Ba Sing Se for good he would return their daughter. However, before such things could be set in motion, the firebender the earthbender had hired got into an argument with the latter in regards to his compensation. During the scuffle, the firebender greatly injured the earthbender and left the city with Ming, who he referred to as a 'brat,' in tow. He planned to drop her off at the first orphanage he came across lest he be discovered as being the kidnapper. However, after many failed attempts to peel her away from him, he discovered he'd become fond of the brat and, much to his own moral dismay, returned to his home in the fire nation with her.
The man's name was Qiu. When not being hired on as a bounty hunter or other less than savvy in morale jobs, he worked from his secluded home in the mountains. He found peace in being surrounded by trees. There, Ming grew up. While at first he tried to teach her himself, he quickly found he wasn't a very suitable teacher and sent her to the local public fire nation schools. While her skin tone made her a bit suspicious and was something she was frequently made fun of for in her younger years, she mostly got away without being too noticeable. Besides, with all the at-home self defense training Qiu was giving her, she quickly made herself a reputation as one to not be messed with especially since over time she became eager to get into fights so that she could test her physical limitations. Though, due to this, she was frequently seen as a trouble maker. As she became more able to function on her own, Ming enjoyed exploring the mountainside on her own and discovering new things. During one of these short lived journeys around the mountain she encountered an elderly man that had been pinned under a fallen tree from the passing lightning storm the night before. Afraid that she wouldn't be able to assist the man before he was critically injured, she sprang into action and attempted to physically lift the large trunk from off his body. In her willingness to remove it, she found the tree suddenly floating before her eyes and outstretched hands. Confused, she moved the tree aside with this newfound ability and assisted the dazed elderly man into town.
As she discovered this ability around the time she'd hit puberty, she wasn't willing yet to tell Qiu of her discovery. Instead, now on her walks around the mountain she began exploring her power, trying to refine it, making trees grow at her will and become shapes. Doing this exhausted her. During her school days she would attempt to see if her ability worked on anything else. When no one was looking, she attempted to call random objects to her. Stray shoes, empty cups, pens... All to no avail. Until she realized her ability to move a full cup of water. As the years went on, Ming took on jobs around town to make herself extra money. She worked along side talented firebending smiths, chefs in the local inns, working for the lumber mill (A job which she stuck with the longest and made the most friends at. She was a well known worker there and her dear friends gave her a gift; an axe after several years of her service. A token she treasures and uses in her self defense training.) Nearing the end of her teenage years, it dawned on her that she might not be related to Qiu. Years of blind trust had made her hold off on her doubts until it had come to a breaking point. One night, she unleashed years of pent up anger, confusion and questions onto her adoptive father. To which he unwillingly relented the truth about. Hurt, the two fell into silence after what was said and lived in a week of awkward, short conversations afterward. Then, her heart heavy and her mind made up, Ming packed up a small bag and said goodbye to Qui. The two broke into tears and hugged each other tightly, both of them understanding. While she would always love Qui as a father, it was time for her to find her real parents. It was time for her to go home.
The man's name was Qiu. When not being hired on as a bounty hunter or other less than savvy in morale jobs, he worked from his secluded home in the mountains. He found peace in being surrounded by trees. There, Ming grew up. While at first he tried to teach her himself, he quickly found he wasn't a very suitable teacher and sent her to the local public fire nation schools. While her skin tone made her a bit suspicious and was something she was frequently made fun of for in her younger years, she mostly got away without being too noticeable. Besides, with all the at-home self defense training Qiu was giving her, she quickly made herself a reputation as one to not be messed with especially since over time she became eager to get into fights so that she could test her physical limitations. Though, due to this, she was frequently seen as a trouble maker. As she became more able to function on her own, Ming enjoyed exploring the mountainside on her own and discovering new things. During one of these short lived journeys around the mountain she encountered an elderly man that had been pinned under a fallen tree from the passing lightning storm the night before. Afraid that she wouldn't be able to assist the man before he was critically injured, she sprang into action and attempted to physically lift the large trunk from off his body. In her willingness to remove it, she found the tree suddenly floating before her eyes and outstretched hands. Confused, she moved the tree aside with this newfound ability and assisted the dazed elderly man into town.
As she discovered this ability around the time she'd hit puberty, she wasn't willing yet to tell Qiu of her discovery. Instead, now on her walks around the mountain she began exploring her power, trying to refine it, making trees grow at her will and become shapes. Doing this exhausted her. During her school days she would attempt to see if her ability worked on anything else. When no one was looking, she attempted to call random objects to her. Stray shoes, empty cups, pens... All to no avail. Until she realized her ability to move a full cup of water. As the years went on, Ming took on jobs around town to make herself extra money. She worked along side talented firebending smiths, chefs in the local inns, working for the lumber mill (A job which she stuck with the longest and made the most friends at. She was a well known worker there and her dear friends gave her a gift; an axe after several years of her service. A token she treasures and uses in her self defense training.) Nearing the end of her teenage years, it dawned on her that she might not be related to Qiu. Years of blind trust had made her hold off on her doubts until it had come to a breaking point. One night, she unleashed years of pent up anger, confusion and questions onto her adoptive father. To which he unwillingly relented the truth about. Hurt, the two fell into silence after what was said and lived in a week of awkward, short conversations afterward. Then, her heart heavy and her mind made up, Ming packed up a small bag and said goodbye to Qui. The two broke into tears and hugged each other tightly, both of them understanding. While she would always love Qui as a father, it was time for her to find her real parents. It was time for her to go home.
Extra
-Ming carries the axe from the lumber mill on her person at all times
-A avid explorer, Ming has found unconventional ways to squeeze into hard to reach places (Using her Axe and plant bending skills to aid in a 90 degree climb on a rock face for example)
-While having been taught to hunt for herself and worked as a chef for a few years before leaving the fire nation, she prefers dining out to a home cooked meal any day
-Qiu was very religious. The rosary crown that Ming wears is a parting gift.
-Zuko is bae
-A avid explorer, Ming has found unconventional ways to squeeze into hard to reach places (Using her Axe and plant bending skills to aid in a 90 degree climb on a rock face for example)
-While having been taught to hunt for herself and worked as a chef for a few years before leaving the fire nation, she prefers dining out to a home cooked meal any day
-Qiu was very religious. The rosary crown that Ming wears is a parting gift.
-Zuko is bae
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