Junko Xiaoli
| Nickname |
Xièxiè (Shey-Shey) || As a child, Junko was obedient. She would never forget her please-and-thank-you's. Specifically, her thank you's. Her answers and questions would always end with 'thank you'. The habit wore off with time. One day a peer brought up her childhood, and inevitably her habit. The nickname caught on from there. Junko doesn't mind being called Xièxiè once in a while or in times of endearment, just don't rub it in her face.
| Age |
22
| Gender. Sexuality. |
Female || Heterosexual
Like most inhabitants of the Earth Kingdom, Junko is sturdy. She's stubborn and sticks to what she believes. In fact Junko can be unbelievably stubborn and inflexible in her approach. So much so that when the logical arguments don’t suit her, she will just refuse to listen completely. This doesn’t mean she is completely uncooperative; if she agrees with an idea she will support it fully and will bring benefits. A benefit that comes with being stubborn is endurance. Junko is willing to go to great measures and can/will withstand tough situations to reach her ideals. She is patient and thorough. She works toward her ideals thoroughly, whatever speed that may be ,as she is never in a hurry. While she is patient, she is also lazy, especially when ordered to do something. Junko will not move a muscle until she is motivated to get up and work. Junko values money and is sensible when it comes to purchases. In a way you could say she is the treasurer of the group. She can take her sensibility too far at times and become frugal in the name of savings and a better future. With her hard work and patience, Junko is able to lend a strong shoulder to people. Don’t abuse her generosity (or don’t let her catch you abusing it); she will ruin you. Junko is confident, and with confidence comes bravery. She is ready to test her limits and rise up to challenges. Junko is naturally honest and will try her best not to lie. Her brutal honesty acts up in times of intense emotions Junko will become insensitive and more prone to harsh comments.
Anger comes slow to Junko, though once it makes its way through her thick walls it becomes a creature of its own. She becomes almost uncontrollable and will set her sights on vanquishing the cause of her troubles. Junko isn't the sort to fall in love, date, break-up, then move on. Once you are in her target zone, you're stuck there until she takes you herself. Expressing affection doesn't come easily to Junko and will often have a troubled expression on her face around said person. On the other hand, sadness is hard to cover. She doesn't feel grief and sadness easily, though when she does, it will weigh her down for a time.
All in all, Junko Xiaoli is the woman with a strong outer wall, and many, many ,weaker inner walls.
- Her kick; her legs are the toughest aspect of her body.
- She completes her goals thoroughly.
- Her endurance; she can last in a battle for quite a while.
- Metal surroundings.
- Her frugality.
- Her stubbornness; it severely damages her social skills.
✓ Security
✓ Gardening: "Shaddup."
× Being bossed off by someone
× Pressure
The Bare Necessities: Honestly, Junko doesn't really have anything special. She doesn't need to carry around a sleeping bag- she can just bend one out of the earth. Need armor to carry into battle? Just bend one out of the earth! She carries what she really needs in a small tote that she slings over her shoulder.
Dagger: She attaches it by the hip through a belt and only really requires it while hunting in the wild.
A small bag: Well, that's what everyone refers it to and that's all Junko will admit to it being. It really contains the wedding ring of her mother, a necklace her sister made for her, and shell- shaped medal her brother won in a sparring contest. She takes around with her everywhere she goes and attaches it to her belt by a thin rope.
| Family |
Mei Lin Xiaoli||Mother||Deceased|| Died during child birth.
Jin Xiaoli||Father||Alive|| 43||His bending was taken away during a Chi Blocker attack.
Yuu Xiaoli||Brother||Alive||23|| Currently serves under the Earth Kingdom Navy.
Tsubasa Xiaoli||Sister||Alive||11|| Currently resides in their neighbor's home. Her legs were paralyzed during a raid.
| History |
Junko Xiaoli was born as the second child of Mei Lin and Jin Xiaoli. The two met during a wedding reception and were glued to each since then. Now, customs in the village didn't approve of such arrangements, but because of Jin's respectful role in the village, they made an exception. Eleventh months of marriage gave way to a baby boy, Yuu. He was given the light caramel eyes of his mother, though the cold contemplative stare from his father. He was strangely silent. Fast forward seventeen months later and the small village gave way to another child of the Xiaoli. She was named Junko for strong dark, and depth less eyes she possessed- almost exactly like her father's. What differed was the way she looked at another person. Her stare was direct, honest. Her growth was rather average for about two years. It was a fresh spring day in the village and Junko was dismissed to go play with Yuu. The two tended to rough house in times of play- since she couldn't really walk yet and the two would never really get along. She would often be confused for a young boy because of her mother's horrible hair-cutting skills and her father's lack of concern over it. She lost (as usual) in the fight that day. This time, though, she was clearly frustrated at her loss. The young girl stamped her foot on the ground, and in that moment, a pillar shot out of the ground... Just beneath her brother's jumps of triumph. It sent him a couple feet into the air and landed with a cry/oomph. The cry sent Mei Lin running out of the quaint home. The pillar stood still in the air as Junko merely stared at it in confusion, but as soon as she heard her name called sternly the pillar sunk into the ground shyly.
"Jin!Jin! Junko can bend! She can bend earth! Junko is an Earth Bender!" And the words Mei Lin called out would be remembered in the village for ages to come. No one would notice nor would they know of the small, pleased smile Jin made.
The village never held a young(not old *hinthint*) Earth Bender within its walls and no one knew how to treat one; not even the village Elders. Jin volunteered to give his daughter martial arts training instead. The Elders agreed right off, knowing how renowned Jin was for his … unique ‘skills’. The day after her third birthday she began spending play-time in the mountains with her father. In the mountains, her father changed. He became stern and demanding, very unlike the gentle and vaguely awkward father she knew at home. For her young and fragile heart, the change terrified her. What if her supposed 'Papa' was going to suddenly order around and put her in cages- like the chickens? She quickly fell into step with the orders she was given. It wasn't long until she turned into a stern, obedient young girl herself. She grew her hair out and tied into a simple pony tail. By the age of nine she knew how to work the basics with Hung Gar (a Chinese Martial Art similar to Earth Bending stances) and passed her father's requirements. Once she passed her training, she spent some time relaxing. By this time, her brother was ten years of age. Her father had also been training his first son in sword art and knowledge of their lands. Her brother’s cold stare became more defining and mischievous. As soon as break time came, it went. She was sent off to neighboring town to a well-known Earth Bender’s home. Here she was taught to forget her manners and become more firm- stubborn in her ways. The martial arts training she went through with her father came into play when she began mastering the art of bending. She was extraordinary in her methods; the best pupil her teacher ever had. She was known for tricking her opponents with the movement of her torso. She spent four years in the village and gained as sense of endurance and independence. She returned home at the age of thirteen to a two year old baby sister. She was her mother. From the warm, gentle eyes, to silky strands of dark hair. She was welcomed with open arms. Upon letting the fact that she had a new baby sister sink in, Junko began searching for her mother.
“Mom… Where’s mom?” She peered around the halls curiously.
A calm, whisper resounded throughout the house- the voice of her brother. “She’s dead.”
“Oh.”The death of her beloved mother should have impacted her. It really should have. And when she realized not a single tear fell down her cheeks, she never felt so guilty.
Her father began to frequently leave the house and the village with other men. He began coming home later and later. At first it was a couple hours, but it soon lasted for weeks. During one of his absences Junko and her brother discovered the unique ability their little sister had too. The news spread through the village like wildfire. With no father to really govern the household and Junko being the only earth bender in the whole village, she brought it upon herself to teach her little sister.
Fast forward six years into the future and Junko was nearing twenty, Yuu was twenty one, and Tsubasa was nearing nine. The village elder had passed away and her father had been elected as the new leader. Her father stopped going on those mystery trips and began staying at home, locked up in his bedroom instead. One sunny day her father called his children together. Yuu, Junko, and Tsubasa eagerly awaited the reason for his calling. He merely offered a small smile and began putting on a mask (refer to picture). He dismissed the children and walked back inside his office. Junko never saw his smile again.
On the eve of her twentieth birthday, the village was preparing a banquet in her honor (her being the leader’s eldest daughter and all), and everything seemed just fine. She was in a neighbor’s house, dolling up for the celebration while her little sister played outside with neighbors. Her brother stayed home with their father. The women assisting Junko were gossiping loudly.
“I know right,Qi? You need a husband, Junko! When I was a young girl I alway-“ The woman’s speech was cut off when a blood-curling scream erupted from the village entrance. Confused, Junko sat up, preparing to investigate what was going on, but the women brushed off the scream and held her back. A bit irked at the fondling women, she sat back down with a mild grumble. It was until multiple screams heard that Junko really began to hurry out the house. The women immediately scolded her for doing so and began trying to pull her back to the room. Before her, in the center of the village stood twenty or so men surrounding her father. Her brother stood at the feet of the stairs clutching his arm. Upon putting the pieces together, she made the effort of running down the stairs to assist her clearly outnumbered father… only to be held back by the women of the house. She struggled, she truly did, but could go nowhere and only watch. She watched as her father struggled to fight back, but he was too outnumbered. Out of the blue, a pillar of stone shot out of the ground, effectively surprising the men. They soon snapped out of their minor shock and split up, attacking both the owner of the attack and her father. And through the whole brawl, the rest of the village could only watch in terror.
Jin and Tsubasa Xiaoli both lost their bending that day. Junko was too caught up in her shock over the loss to realize that hey, her father can Bend too. Her little sister’s legs were permanently paralyzed during the act as a mistake one of the attackers made. The attack not only took away, her bending, her legs, it took away Tsubasa’s smile too. And in that realization, Junko cried. She found herself sobbing while her sister stood idle in her bed; like a doll. In a flurry of shame, her brother left the household and joined the Navy. The village Junko and her family live in is not too far from the ocean. The village began settling into a dark, worried time. Who were these people and why did they take away their bending? What is preventing others from attacking now? An emergency meeting was called and the Elder’s and Leader began discussing solutions. Someone brought up the Avatar…
She volunteered for the search and insisted that no one else come. She is an Earth Bender, and this fact alone will most likely give her an advantage when it comes to defense.
So here Junko is in the present: On the search for the Avatar and a possible cure to the loss of bending.