Post by Yu Lan Tao on Jun 30, 2012 10:50:24 GMT -5
Yu Lan Tao
name: Yu Lan, or just Lan around friends.
gender: Female
age: 25
element: non-bender
animal companion: Gao
Gao is a 7 year old, juvenile sea raven. Weighing at roughly two pounds, with a wingspan of about 42 inches, he's fairly average among his species. He is inky black, with a large beak and beady, though intelligent, eyes. Gao will eat just about anything, though he tends to prefer fresh caught fish or crab. He has learned to mimic a few words, including: Lan, eat, go, and take. He has been trained to carry messages when needed, though he must have been to his destination in order to be able to find it. Gao is very curious, and seems to have a fascination with shiny objects.
::looking pretty good[/font]
hair color: Jet black
eye color: blue-green
skin color: well tanned
overall appearance:
Yu Lan stands at around 5'5" and has a somewhat lean figure. Her black hair falls in waves, ending just above her waist. It's style changes with her moods and can be seen braided and gathered up, loose and wild, and all forms in between. She is almost always seen with a smile on her otherwise rather plain face, and her hands on her hips, as if she's silently gloating over some accomplishment. She is lithe and sure-footed, with an excellent sense of balance.
Yu Lan prefers simple clothing, such as sleeveless tops and baggy, knee length pants. She usually has some sort of sash around her waist. She tends to favor shades between blue and green, as well as pale yellows and cream, or the occasional splash of orange. If she can, she prefers to go barefoot, but when that isn't an option, she can be seen wearing simple sandals or slip on shoes. Yu Lan almost always has a few copper bangles on one wrist and is never without her round moonstone pendant necklace.
Image made using Heromachine3
::what I'm thinking[/font]
likes: to laugh, adventure, dancing, new things/places/people, puzzles/riddles/magic tricks, games
dislikes: rudeness/grumpiness, being stagnant, inequality, plain food
sexuality: heterosexual
overall personality:
Yu Lan is generally a very happy-go-lucky person. Her family's nomadic trading life has allowed her to feel comfortable no matter where she is. She has an insatiable curiosity and an genuine interest in the people around her. This has, however, caused her to seem somewhat intense and intrusive around those not used to her. She has little awareness for personal space or needs for privacy.
As a child, she was very trusting and assumed the good in all people she encountered. Over the years, she has developed a better sense of caution and skepticism around strangers, but this quickly is replaced by trust once she becomes acquainted with someone.
Quick to laugh, Yu Lan is most comfortable when those around her seem comfortable. If there is tension in the air, she becomes anxious and will try to lighten the mood if she can. Naturally, she dislikes aggression and tries to avoid it as best she can. Should Yu Lan become sad, she has a tendency to seclude herself from others, preferring to mope in solitude. If driven to anger, she can seem scatterbrained, sarcastic, and snippy. Once her anger has passed, Yu Lan is quick to apologize for her behavior.
::a past to remember[/font]
Yu Lan's parents first met by accident. Their second meeting, however, was the result of year of searching. Her father, He-Ping, was born to Chong and Lily, two Earth Kingdom nomads. He was raised on the road amidst music and stories. He traveled the Earth Kingdom his entire youth with his parents and their nomad friends.
Her mother, Akiyo, was the daughter of a Northern Water Tribe fishing merchant. Her father did much of his business with villages along the northern coast of the Earth Kingdom. The two met in one such village. It was the first time Akiyo's father had allowed her to leave their home in the north to accompany him. When her father discovered her laughing and smiling with He-Ping, he quickly whisked her away back home. He-Ping's family moved on, back south and the two thought they'd never see each other again.
A few years passed, but He-Ping still remembered the beautiful water tribe girl. Finally, he could no longer ignore how he felt. His parents saw him off with their blessing, proud that their son was venturing into the world in search of love. It took a few more years for e-Ping to find his way back to that village, but once there, he managed to get passage to the north and find where Akiyo lived.
When the two found each other, they knew they were meant to be. But Akiyo also knew her father would not allow it. He had plans to marry his daughter to a water bender. So in secret, the two stole away back to the Earth Kingdom, where they married and He-Ping introduced Akiyo to the wonders of a nomadic life.
Because his wife loved the sea so much, the two spent most of their travels along to the western coast of the Earth Kingdom. He-Ping performed odd jobs to support them, and eventually was able to buy a house boat. It was on this boat that their three children were born. First came twin sons, Xiang and Rakki, and five years later, Yu Lan was born.
As she grew, Yu Lan knew nothing but the love of a close family. They lived a happy life, trading up and down the coast with all sorts of people. Akiyo taught her children to read and write and He-Ping always had stories and songs to share. On occasion, the family was treated to a visit with Papa Chong and Granny Lily. These were rare treats that became lasting, fond memories. When Xiang and Rakki were old enough, they began to help their father with his odd jobs and loading and unloading trade goods they were hired to transport on their boat. It was not a rich life, but it was indeed a happy one.
Because Xiang and Rakki were rambunctious boys, He-Ping and Akiyo allowed them to attend a martial arts school outside of Republic City when they were 10. Yu Lan and her parents stayed close to the area, so that they could visit the twins often. The two remained at the school until they were 18 and news of their father falling ill reached them.
He-Ping struggled in fever and delirium for a few weeks before passing away. Saddened, Akiyo grew quiet and detached. When she did speak, she talked of her home, and so Xiang and Rakki decided to take her there. Akiyo's family welcomed her home, and were happy to greet her children as well. Her father had harbored anger for years, but old age had softened his heart and allowed love back in. But Yu Lan and her brothers, while happy to have met their mother's family, still had that wanderlust in their veins. And so with a promise to look after their baby sister, Xiang and Rakki took the family boat and business and set away back south again.
In the following years, Yu Lan helped her brothers wherever she could, and in return, they taught her how to defend herself. Though strong for their build, the twins were lanky young men, and had learned to use their agility and balance to their advantage. So this is what they taught their sister. Yu Lan learned evasion, misdirection, and how to tire an attacker before delivering precise, disabling blows.
Soon, Xiang met a woman, who quickly became his wife. As a wedding gift, Yu Lan and Rakki used some saved up money to buy a smaller boat, leaving Xiang and his wife with the larger one so that they could start a family of their own.
Yu Lan and Rakki continued on, venturing out to the nearby Fire Nation islands to find new adventures. It was on Crescent Island where Yu Lan found Gao. He'd been injured and near death, but Yu Lan managed to nurse him back to health. He's been a loyal companion ever since.
Rakki followed in his brother's footsteps a few years later, finding a wife, and Yu Lan knew that it was time to go her own way. She has recently waved goodbye to her brothers and their wives at the docks of Republic City. Now at 25, she is ready to find her own adventure.
