Open to feedback.

[hider=Sho]
[center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/520041678032207887/735610912198885417/Firebender.jpg[/img]
[color=red][h3][b]S H O D O H[/b][/h3][/color]
[sub]'We perform, we get paid, and we get out. That's our lifestyle.'[/sub][/center]

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[b]Character Age:[/b] 23
[b]Character Gender:[/b] Male
[b]Character Race:[/b] Earth Kingdom (currently residing), Fire Nation (Originally)
[b]Bending:[/b] Fire Bending - Intermediate
[b]Skills:[/b]
[list][*]Acrobatics - Advanced
[*]Baton Twirling/Staff Performances - Advanced
[*]Cooking - Intermediate
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[b]Weaknesses:[/b]
[list][*]A Hot Temper: Sho has an issue with just letting things slide. If someone slights him, or if he feels like he's been slighted... it's best summarized as you take a penny, he takes a pound.
[*]An Idealistic Savior: While he's not some kind of vigilante hero, Sho does firmly believe in the idea that people should have equal stake and power when it comes to government and freedom. This means that if he sees the opportunity to knock someone on top down a peg, or manage to see an opportunity to exploit the rich for the sake of the poor, he'll take it.
[*]Alone in a Crowded Room: While Sho is not antisocial, he is fiercely independent. Instead of relying on the help of his friends and co-performers, he would much rather go things alone and suffer the consequences on his own. It's a rare mix of an inability to recognize the strength of others and a desire to protect those closest to him.
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[b]Possessions:[/b] Sho's possessions are sparse, but important to note. Sho's usual attire is his performance clothes, though he does keep a spare set of dark clothes and scarves to obscure himself if he needs to do something less than legal. His go bag includes basic cooking utensils and spices. On his person, at most times, Sho carries a metal staff designed to fit two cloth bags on each end. The metal staff has a pin that allows it to expand and retract in size depending on the situation of the performance or combat, and was originally designed for "Fire Twirling" performances by Li.

[b]Biography:[/b]

Before Sho left the Fire Nations, his life was surprisingly unremarkable. Shodoh was born to a somewhat large fire nation family in one of the many Eastern islands. He was the youngest of four boys. His father became a higher ranking officer under the warlord Diyu, and most of Sho's older brothers served Diyu as well. When Sho was fourteen, all his older brothers and his father had basically gone in full service of the Warlord. Which left Sho at home alone with his lonely and unstable mother for two years. The only thing that kept Sho sane in these years was practicing his firebending at the local school, and self practicing long into the evenings. It wasn't until Sho's oldest brother died in conflict and Sho's mother went hysterical and just left home that Sho truly felt alone at home in the Fire Nation. Feeling neglected, abandoned, and angry at the circumstances of his life, Sho did the only thing he thought he could at the age of 16: he left. He used what little money his family had left behind to buy his way onto a ship heading for the Earth Kingdom.

Sho wasn't sure where he wanted to go, but he knew it was just somewhere else. Somewhere he wouldn't necessarily feel alone and like an outcast. Unfortunately, that's all he felt once he reached the mainland of the Earth Kingdom. Some didn't trust the young man, and some just didn't like him. So Sho continued to feel neglected and abandoned until he managed to stumble upon people like himself: outcasts. He had stumbled upon a street performance by a young waterbender from the Northern Water Tribe named Kira. She was a lost soul like himself, but she wanted to see the world. Traveling required money, so she tried to do little performances around Earth Kingdom towns in order to keep herself afloat. Sho and Kira hit it off fairly quickly, and the two fourteen year olds started Sho's first traveling performing act: Fire and Ice.

The two traveled along the coast of the Earth Kingdom while developing their performance styles. Kira's specialty was in developing little "scenes" by manipulating water into shapes and figures. Sho's self routine was more about controlled firebending, in which Sho would do anything from light a bunch of candles with expert precision while blindfolded to doing twirls and spins while juggling flames. The two managed to catch the attention of two brothers named Lon and Li. Lon was a talented young earthbender pacifist who didn't want to be enlisted in some sort of army, while Li was a rather talkative and gossipy apprentice blacksmith whose name was sort of tarnished after a tryst with his master's daughter. Needless to say, they all wanted to move on. And so, that's when "The Elements" performing group was made.

Sho sort of became the unofficial leader of The Elements about two years ago. He had strong opinions on where they should go, and seemed to be competent when it came to delegating tasks and making sure his friends had a place to sleep wherever they went. Besides, Sho was mean with a skillet and some spices. He cooked the crew's meals, and no one complained. Everyone had responsibilities, work, plenty of downtime to explore and do as they like. They're all happy.

Everyone but Sho. While he'd never admit it, he's become more and more restless in the year and a half he's been leading The Elements around the Earth Kingdom. He's been getting into more fights and seeking out literature against the unification of the Earth Kingdom, but also been delving into testing out new recipes and spices. He's in a weird conflicted head space: he isn't sure if he wants to pursue a personal desire to start up a restaurant and settle down somewhere, or if he wants to become politically active in taking a more direct role in trying to stop the Earth Kingdom's more militaristic method of unification. At the end of the day, he is just a performer...

[b]Supporting Cast:[/b]
[list][*][b][color=00aeef]Kira - [/color][/b] An optimistic and charming young woman with a strong wanderlust. She wants to see the world over and hear all sorts of stories... and then share said stories with different parts of the world. She also has a strong fascination with stories about spirits seeming to become more prevalent lately. Lately, she has been spending a little more time sparring with Sho and trying to coneptualize an old "dueling" routine that Sho had scrapped when they were a duo some years back.
[*][b][color=39b54a]Lon - [/color][/b] While not exceptionally talented as an earthbender, he's very loyal to his friends. He's a pacifist by nature, and spends a surprising amount of time in meditation or just in quiet thought for such a large man. Lon has been, on his free time as Sho has been contemplating moving The Elements to Si Wong, dabbling with sandbending. He has shown a little progress, but is barely able to do anything than shift sand a little worse than just kicking it would.
[*][b][color=fff79a]Li - [/color][/b] It's a wonder Li hasn't ended up in a jail cell or with a broken arm. Li loves three things: his work, his lovers, and rumors. While he's fantastic at getting the word out about The Elements, Li is also usually the reason why The Elements have been forced to move on from certain towns. Li's gift for blacksmithing comes from his vision and his understanding of his friends. He tends to whatever tools and performance props The Elements need for their performances.
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