Post by Chen Li on Aug 18, 2012 17:28:17 GMT -5
Name: Chen Li
Age: 27 years old
Gender: Male
Nation of Origin: United Republic
Bender? What Element?: He is a non-bender
Physical Appearance: Chen can be described as the quiet type, and his appearance reflects that. He doesn't stand out even a little from the throngs of people walking to work in the morning, and though he may be dear to his friends, he isn't much different than any other “working Li”. He cares enough about his appearance to look professional at work, but he doesn't truly care if he looks pristine or slovenly- he's just another guy, so nobody else cares either.
His hard work has kept him in shape, although not in lean athletic shape. His smaller build is evident in his joints, hinting at a spry nature which he rarely exhibits. His arms and legs are both long and thin, his hands ending in long fingers with small palms. His cheekbones are rounded, but his chin is nonetheless pointed, giving his face a somewhat serious look unless he is smiling. His somewhat thin lips often sit flat, contributing to this expression, while his prominent and pointed nose add an edge to his face. His blue-gray eyes hint at a mixed ancestry when compared to his lighter skin and light brown hair, which he keeps cropped short so that it doesn't bother him under his driver's cap. (Similarly, he keeps his face cleanshaven, although he is usually somewhat lazy about this, so he may appear with stubble from time to time.) His eyebrows are large and full, which allow his face to express a wide array of emotion at ease- however, like his lips, they usually sit flat across his face. None of this gives him a look that one might call an appealing appearance, but then, he doesn't care much about being appealing.
Clothing: Similarly to his personal appearance, Chen cares much more about functionality in his clothing than how it appears to others. Most of his clothing is similar in style and color palette, since he prefers to have easy choices in what he wears. His choices reflect both his ancestry (Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom) and his working class status. His clothes are tough, normal fabrics rather than lighter, more comfortable fabrics that some people prefer. (He finds that these rip or tear too easily.) He does own some of those clothes for leisure, but he seldom wears them. He also owns a single formal suit which is blue and gray in color that he's only had to wear to certain celebratory occasions, although he hates it since it's very stiff.
The color palette of his clothing ranges from greens and browns to blues and grays (he usually prefers to wear green and brown) and his undershirts are all charcoal gray. All of the colors are fairly dark and dull, which he prefers because it means less washing is required to keep them looking acceptable, whereas bright clothing is a bother to keep clean, always staining so easily. Since he sometimes has to work on his truck, this annoyance can sometimes make him look like a real slob, so darker colors are always preferred.
His shirts are all long sleeved, with a crisp, stiff collar which hides his neck. It parts in the front, allowing his undershirt to be seen. It buttons closed on the far right side, allowing the front to be uniform in color. Over this, he sometimes wears a vest, which fits well enough that he doesn't have to button it up (it doesn't flap about uselessly.) The vests are trimmed in a color opposing that of their natural color- gray for his blue vest, green for his brown one. If it is particularly cold out, or if it is raining, he will also wear a dark brown duster jacket with a high collar that he can pull up around his neck. When very cold, he has a darker gray woolen coat that he can wear either alone or under the duster if need be, as well as a green scarf which protects him from the opening in his collar against the cold.
Although knickerbockers are the preferred pants by most people, he actually owns more trousers. Most of his trousers have pockets on the sides, and are kept in place by a belt. (He tucks in his shirt.) All of the trousers, like his shirts, are darker colored- all of them are brown. If wearing trousers, his pants tuck into high boots which are made of extremely tough leather. They've lasted him a long time, and are what he prefers to wear in the colder months. He also possesses a couple of knickerbockers, and long gray socks which he wears with them. He owns two pair of knickerbockers, one gray, one brown, somewhat lighter colored than the rest of his clothing. Usually, he wears his lighter shoes with these, darker brown like his boots, which are low heeled and have smaller soles. Sometimes, if he feels he needs to get somewhere more quickly, or needs more mobility for some reason, he will wear the knickerbockers in the wintertime.
Lastly, and most importantly, he is almost never seen without his dark brown driver's cap, which he keeps in good condition. He loves it, and will wear it in any weather, no matter how hot or cold it is.
Equipment?: Chen doesn't have any “equipment” in the sense of weapons or tools that he keeps on him at all times, though he does have possessions. He sometimes borrows books from the Library, or writes a little bit on his own in a diary of sorts. He also owns a few books, mostly spiritual ones or instruction manuals teaching him skills he believes he needs. He has a few tools, and a knife that his father gave him for skinning fish or small animals on hunts. (Of course, he doesn't do this anymore.) He also has a medium sized khaki satchel bag that he uses when he goes shopping or when he needs to carry anything.
Personality: Chen is a very quiet sort of person. He tends to keep his opinions to himself, or to contemplate them for a long time before doing anything about them, or engaging people in debate. He has learned in the past that opening his mouth is bound only to bring him trouble. He does try to help friends though- that's one thing he will not stop doing.
Chen is somewhat meek as a result of his quiet, but it should not be mistaken as a sign of weakness. He can hold quite strong opinions and strong precepts of right and wrong. He has weakness in him like anybody else does, and his meek nature may hide what smattering of bravery that he has, but it will sometimes show itself. No matter his meekness, he is and has always been hardworking.
He tends to make lasting friendships, rather than hasty acquaintances. His friendships with Shen and Nanuk are things he'd never throw away. He'd be willing to do anything for them, and hopes they feel the same. That said, his kind nature allows him to easily make friends should he need to. He is a highly spiritual person, thanks in no small part to his discussions with Wenyan, and Chen reflects on his personal failures and successes as he tries to improve himself. This is a result of what he saw people become as they struggled to “improve themselves”. He has decided to be a kind person and to treat others as he would want to be treated; it makes the most sense for him to do that.
Chen is not always a meek person, and when he is more comfortable around a person, and feels more open, he can become quite talkative and friendly. This doesn't happen with everybody, and happens more on a person to person basis, and on an event to event basis. Chen also can get very angry sometimes, but he seldom takes this out on people- his experience in being attacked by Triad members once made him realize that anybody could be a bender, and to offend the wrong person might involve pain or injury. If it's not something life threatening, it's better to bite your tongue and deal with it later. (This follows right in line with his talking on opinions of the day.)
Chen has been a victim of a bender attack before, as was his father. His father and his grandparents were all put out of work by benders, and during his search for work, he was constantly outclassed in labor skills. His lack of brilliance did him no favors, and he didn't get those jobs. Despite all of this, he knows that such things come down to the person in question. His good friends Shen and Nanuk have never hurt him, and he believes that they would protect him if the time should come- and he will protect them too. No matter what his opinions on people, he believes something needs to be done about all the gang violence. He's afraid to be out too late at night, and afraid to walk alone or down deserted streets. Despite all this, he tries to carry himself with some bravery.
No matter how friendly he is, he struggles, as of yet, to find a meaningful relationship with a woman. He feels that he may be too old now, much to his sadness. He hopes he is wrong, and has not given up looking.
Background: Chen Li was born to his parents Taka and Jun in the springtime, and they, being of mixed ancestry themselves, only mixed it up more as he was born. They lived on a small farm in the United Republic, growing what they could. Of course, subsistence farming was almost forgotten, but what kept them on the land were the grandparents Gan and Lien. Chen never knew them, because they passed away when he was a young boy and toddler. During this time, Taka and Jun moved the family into Republic City proper, joining their many relatives who lived there, looking for better work. Taka, after all, had read and learned how to work construction and wiring, and hoped he'd be hired on somewhere in Republic City. They managed to do one better, starting a family business with himself and his cousin at the helm. They helped wire electricity into new homes and laid out plans to connect them to the grid.
Chen was thus brought up in an atmosphere of a decent life. His father was by no means rich, but he was decently well off. They owned a small house, ate good food, and he was schooled and played with friends that he made after it was out. He showed potential to be able to read well at an early age. He was able to use this ability to help at work sometimes, reading things off to his dad like a little assistant.
During this period, when he was 4, and just beginning school, his mother gave birth to twin sisters, Far and Jie. They both had green eyes, a trait certainly coming from the earth kingdom side of the family. Chen spent time at home helping his mother care for them, although this ended when he was about 10 or so, being able to help his father from that point on. Although Chen always had fond memories of his father, he remembers that around this time, his father always seemed worried.
Although wiring had initially been expensive in some areas, metalbenders who weren't on the police force had taken up new lines of work- and using their metalbending, and bending the copper in the wires, they learned how to wire a whole house in a fraction of the time the the non-bender family business could. It practically put them out of work overnight, although it took them some time to creep into Chen's family's side of town.
Because of this, Chen and his family had to find something new to do. His father was out of work for several months, and they had to sell their home. His mother took a housekeeping job, and Chen was left to take care of his sisters while his father left to find work. He eventually did find work, as a worker in an architecture firm. Although he couldn't build things quickly, his knowledge of HOW things were built made him useful, and so he was well and away again. The family was on firm financial footing again. Chen returned to school, and excelled once again.
It was around this period that he met Nanuk and Shen, two benders who attended school and lived nearby. They grew closer as time went on, and the friendship quickly became solid and it was clear that they would be lifelong friends. Their bond is very important to Chen- they accepted him as a non-bender when some would not, and they helped him at times when he needed it. He promised himself he'd do the same for them. Always.
One day when Chen was 17, his father came home from work early- his clothing was singed and his wallet had been stolen from him by bender thugs. The family was somewhat shaken, and bought extra locks for the house. Though the house was never robbed, this colored his father's opinions on benders and bending in general. Though Chen stayed good friends with them, he urged Nanuk and Shen not to visit his house- he wasn't sure it would go over well. Indeed it did not- his father began to detest benders in general, although this was tempered slowly over time to a simmering dislike. Chen was cautious of this, saw what it did to his father, and resolved to never feel such a thing, if he could help it. It did more harm than good.
Next year, after Chen was finished with school, he began looking for work of his own. He had a basic idea of design, but mathematics had eluded him somewhat, and so he took a job at a restaurant, living with his parents for awhile before saving up some money. He left a couple of years later, and moved into a small apartment.
One day that he would remember forever occurred shortly after he'd moved in. Business was very bad. The sun was pounding down, and nobody wanted to eat out in the sun. The restaurant proper was too hot as well, considering cooking too place in the back. No customers around- he was the only one outside when a gang of three Triad members came in, and demanded protection money. Chen had no idea what they were talking about, and said that he wasn't giving them anything. It wasn't his money to give, after all. He just worked there. That didn't go over too well. A water whip and some flares later, and the place was singed up and messy, and Chen was terrified, not to mention bruised. When they asked again, this time a little less kindly, he gave them what they asked for.
Chen was very shaken after this, and it unfortunately began to color his opinions on benders as well. Kicking his father from his job, stealing from him and his father, and even his grandparents' farm had been undermined by earthbenders! But he knew that they had been blessed with great gifts, and he had not been. It was merely how things were. Besides, his friends were benders, and they were good people. He remembered what his father had felt- and he had resolved not to feel that. He did his best to focus on the good, and ignore the massing people itching for a change... for a revolution.
He kept looking for better work, though he was constantly frustrated by failure. One day, 3 years after taking the restaurant job, Chen helped a man from Future Industries change a tire on his truck. Chen's kindness earned him a good word into the business, and an interview for a job. Hiroshi Sato himself dropped by to give the stunned young man a handshake, saying that such kindness and hard work did not go un-appreciated. Mr. Sato then instructed the man to show Chen how his job would go.
The man whom he'd helped was named Wenyan, and he was a whimsical middle aged man whose physical strength had left him, but who had a burgeoning interest and knowledge in the spiritual. While Wenyan drove around, and Chen helped with loading and unloading packages, Wenyan would often muse on the nature of things, the proper way to act or react, etc. Chen soaked it up like a sponge. Wenyan may as well have been a college professor. Their discussions were not refined, but they encouraged Chen to keep learning. And he did.
Only a year later, Chen had been promoted to a driver position himself. He still works there today, 3 years later. He enjoys his work, and considers himself blessed, even though he is still single, and not rich- but he has good friends. He talks to Wenyan when he can, he reads and writes, and he visits his family sometimes. And then, there are his friends, Shen and Nanuk, who he treasures as well. He hopes never to let them down, whether it be helping Nanuk with his gambling problem, pulling Shen out of the path of cars (again), or shielding them from something far more sinister.
Sample RP: Chen shifted down as he brought the car up the long ramp into the warehouse. The lower revs helped the car climb at a more steady rate. As the truck disappeared into the building, he shifted into neutral and coasted to his parking space, shutting the engine off and getting out. He hopped out of the car, and stretched. He was in his knickerbockers today, with the green shirt. He had woken up to see the sun shining, and for some reason, green had seemed like a good color to wear.
He walked towards the area to checkout from work, already feeling a little less listless. No matter how much he enjoyed work (there was something tremendously rewarding about driving a big, rumbling truck) he always felt a little bored or weary towards the end of the day. He punched out and nodded at his co-workers, giving Wenyan a talking to- the old man had been tardy for their last discussion. Wenyan was getting on in years, nearly 65 now, but in truth, he was as spry as he ever had be, and cuffed Chen on the shoulder, telling him to mind his manners. Chen shrugged, and walked off- it was nearly nighttime. No matter what the troubles with being single were, being able to do what you wanted at night was not one of them.
He walked a few blocks, being careful to keep an eye out, and to walk with the crowds, towards his home, ducking into his favorite bar and restaurant. As he spotted Shen and Nanuk in the corner, he called to a waitress to bring him his usual salad and soup. And a beer, of course.
Ah yes, tonight was going to be a good night. He grinned widely as he saw his friends, and sat down. A very good night indeed.
Age: 27 years old
Gender: Male
Nation of Origin: United Republic
Bender? What Element?: He is a non-bender
Physical Appearance: Chen can be described as the quiet type, and his appearance reflects that. He doesn't stand out even a little from the throngs of people walking to work in the morning, and though he may be dear to his friends, he isn't much different than any other “working Li”. He cares enough about his appearance to look professional at work, but he doesn't truly care if he looks pristine or slovenly- he's just another guy, so nobody else cares either.
His hard work has kept him in shape, although not in lean athletic shape. His smaller build is evident in his joints, hinting at a spry nature which he rarely exhibits. His arms and legs are both long and thin, his hands ending in long fingers with small palms. His cheekbones are rounded, but his chin is nonetheless pointed, giving his face a somewhat serious look unless he is smiling. His somewhat thin lips often sit flat, contributing to this expression, while his prominent and pointed nose add an edge to his face. His blue-gray eyes hint at a mixed ancestry when compared to his lighter skin and light brown hair, which he keeps cropped short so that it doesn't bother him under his driver's cap. (Similarly, he keeps his face cleanshaven, although he is usually somewhat lazy about this, so he may appear with stubble from time to time.) His eyebrows are large and full, which allow his face to express a wide array of emotion at ease- however, like his lips, they usually sit flat across his face. None of this gives him a look that one might call an appealing appearance, but then, he doesn't care much about being appealing.
Clothing: Similarly to his personal appearance, Chen cares much more about functionality in his clothing than how it appears to others. Most of his clothing is similar in style and color palette, since he prefers to have easy choices in what he wears. His choices reflect both his ancestry (Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom) and his working class status. His clothes are tough, normal fabrics rather than lighter, more comfortable fabrics that some people prefer. (He finds that these rip or tear too easily.) He does own some of those clothes for leisure, but he seldom wears them. He also owns a single formal suit which is blue and gray in color that he's only had to wear to certain celebratory occasions, although he hates it since it's very stiff.
The color palette of his clothing ranges from greens and browns to blues and grays (he usually prefers to wear green and brown) and his undershirts are all charcoal gray. All of the colors are fairly dark and dull, which he prefers because it means less washing is required to keep them looking acceptable, whereas bright clothing is a bother to keep clean, always staining so easily. Since he sometimes has to work on his truck, this annoyance can sometimes make him look like a real slob, so darker colors are always preferred.
His shirts are all long sleeved, with a crisp, stiff collar which hides his neck. It parts in the front, allowing his undershirt to be seen. It buttons closed on the far right side, allowing the front to be uniform in color. Over this, he sometimes wears a vest, which fits well enough that he doesn't have to button it up (it doesn't flap about uselessly.) The vests are trimmed in a color opposing that of their natural color- gray for his blue vest, green for his brown one. If it is particularly cold out, or if it is raining, he will also wear a dark brown duster jacket with a high collar that he can pull up around his neck. When very cold, he has a darker gray woolen coat that he can wear either alone or under the duster if need be, as well as a green scarf which protects him from the opening in his collar against the cold.
Although knickerbockers are the preferred pants by most people, he actually owns more trousers. Most of his trousers have pockets on the sides, and are kept in place by a belt. (He tucks in his shirt.) All of the trousers, like his shirts, are darker colored- all of them are brown. If wearing trousers, his pants tuck into high boots which are made of extremely tough leather. They've lasted him a long time, and are what he prefers to wear in the colder months. He also possesses a couple of knickerbockers, and long gray socks which he wears with them. He owns two pair of knickerbockers, one gray, one brown, somewhat lighter colored than the rest of his clothing. Usually, he wears his lighter shoes with these, darker brown like his boots, which are low heeled and have smaller soles. Sometimes, if he feels he needs to get somewhere more quickly, or needs more mobility for some reason, he will wear the knickerbockers in the wintertime.
Lastly, and most importantly, he is almost never seen without his dark brown driver's cap, which he keeps in good condition. He loves it, and will wear it in any weather, no matter how hot or cold it is.
Equipment?: Chen doesn't have any “equipment” in the sense of weapons or tools that he keeps on him at all times, though he does have possessions. He sometimes borrows books from the Library, or writes a little bit on his own in a diary of sorts. He also owns a few books, mostly spiritual ones or instruction manuals teaching him skills he believes he needs. He has a few tools, and a knife that his father gave him for skinning fish or small animals on hunts. (Of course, he doesn't do this anymore.) He also has a medium sized khaki satchel bag that he uses when he goes shopping or when he needs to carry anything.
Personality: Chen is a very quiet sort of person. He tends to keep his opinions to himself, or to contemplate them for a long time before doing anything about them, or engaging people in debate. He has learned in the past that opening his mouth is bound only to bring him trouble. He does try to help friends though- that's one thing he will not stop doing.
Chen is somewhat meek as a result of his quiet, but it should not be mistaken as a sign of weakness. He can hold quite strong opinions and strong precepts of right and wrong. He has weakness in him like anybody else does, and his meek nature may hide what smattering of bravery that he has, but it will sometimes show itself. No matter his meekness, he is and has always been hardworking.
He tends to make lasting friendships, rather than hasty acquaintances. His friendships with Shen and Nanuk are things he'd never throw away. He'd be willing to do anything for them, and hopes they feel the same. That said, his kind nature allows him to easily make friends should he need to. He is a highly spiritual person, thanks in no small part to his discussions with Wenyan, and Chen reflects on his personal failures and successes as he tries to improve himself. This is a result of what he saw people become as they struggled to “improve themselves”. He has decided to be a kind person and to treat others as he would want to be treated; it makes the most sense for him to do that.
Chen is not always a meek person, and when he is more comfortable around a person, and feels more open, he can become quite talkative and friendly. This doesn't happen with everybody, and happens more on a person to person basis, and on an event to event basis. Chen also can get very angry sometimes, but he seldom takes this out on people- his experience in being attacked by Triad members once made him realize that anybody could be a bender, and to offend the wrong person might involve pain or injury. If it's not something life threatening, it's better to bite your tongue and deal with it later. (This follows right in line with his talking on opinions of the day.)
Chen has been a victim of a bender attack before, as was his father. His father and his grandparents were all put out of work by benders, and during his search for work, he was constantly outclassed in labor skills. His lack of brilliance did him no favors, and he didn't get those jobs. Despite all of this, he knows that such things come down to the person in question. His good friends Shen and Nanuk have never hurt him, and he believes that they would protect him if the time should come- and he will protect them too. No matter what his opinions on people, he believes something needs to be done about all the gang violence. He's afraid to be out too late at night, and afraid to walk alone or down deserted streets. Despite all this, he tries to carry himself with some bravery.
No matter how friendly he is, he struggles, as of yet, to find a meaningful relationship with a woman. He feels that he may be too old now, much to his sadness. He hopes he is wrong, and has not given up looking.
Background: Chen Li was born to his parents Taka and Jun in the springtime, and they, being of mixed ancestry themselves, only mixed it up more as he was born. They lived on a small farm in the United Republic, growing what they could. Of course, subsistence farming was almost forgotten, but what kept them on the land were the grandparents Gan and Lien. Chen never knew them, because they passed away when he was a young boy and toddler. During this time, Taka and Jun moved the family into Republic City proper, joining their many relatives who lived there, looking for better work. Taka, after all, had read and learned how to work construction and wiring, and hoped he'd be hired on somewhere in Republic City. They managed to do one better, starting a family business with himself and his cousin at the helm. They helped wire electricity into new homes and laid out plans to connect them to the grid.
Chen was thus brought up in an atmosphere of a decent life. His father was by no means rich, but he was decently well off. They owned a small house, ate good food, and he was schooled and played with friends that he made after it was out. He showed potential to be able to read well at an early age. He was able to use this ability to help at work sometimes, reading things off to his dad like a little assistant.
During this period, when he was 4, and just beginning school, his mother gave birth to twin sisters, Far and Jie. They both had green eyes, a trait certainly coming from the earth kingdom side of the family. Chen spent time at home helping his mother care for them, although this ended when he was about 10 or so, being able to help his father from that point on. Although Chen always had fond memories of his father, he remembers that around this time, his father always seemed worried.
Although wiring had initially been expensive in some areas, metalbenders who weren't on the police force had taken up new lines of work- and using their metalbending, and bending the copper in the wires, they learned how to wire a whole house in a fraction of the time the the non-bender family business could. It practically put them out of work overnight, although it took them some time to creep into Chen's family's side of town.
Because of this, Chen and his family had to find something new to do. His father was out of work for several months, and they had to sell their home. His mother took a housekeeping job, and Chen was left to take care of his sisters while his father left to find work. He eventually did find work, as a worker in an architecture firm. Although he couldn't build things quickly, his knowledge of HOW things were built made him useful, and so he was well and away again. The family was on firm financial footing again. Chen returned to school, and excelled once again.
It was around this period that he met Nanuk and Shen, two benders who attended school and lived nearby. They grew closer as time went on, and the friendship quickly became solid and it was clear that they would be lifelong friends. Their bond is very important to Chen- they accepted him as a non-bender when some would not, and they helped him at times when he needed it. He promised himself he'd do the same for them. Always.
One day when Chen was 17, his father came home from work early- his clothing was singed and his wallet had been stolen from him by bender thugs. The family was somewhat shaken, and bought extra locks for the house. Though the house was never robbed, this colored his father's opinions on benders and bending in general. Though Chen stayed good friends with them, he urged Nanuk and Shen not to visit his house- he wasn't sure it would go over well. Indeed it did not- his father began to detest benders in general, although this was tempered slowly over time to a simmering dislike. Chen was cautious of this, saw what it did to his father, and resolved to never feel such a thing, if he could help it. It did more harm than good.
Next year, after Chen was finished with school, he began looking for work of his own. He had a basic idea of design, but mathematics had eluded him somewhat, and so he took a job at a restaurant, living with his parents for awhile before saving up some money. He left a couple of years later, and moved into a small apartment.
One day that he would remember forever occurred shortly after he'd moved in. Business was very bad. The sun was pounding down, and nobody wanted to eat out in the sun. The restaurant proper was too hot as well, considering cooking too place in the back. No customers around- he was the only one outside when a gang of three Triad members came in, and demanded protection money. Chen had no idea what they were talking about, and said that he wasn't giving them anything. It wasn't his money to give, after all. He just worked there. That didn't go over too well. A water whip and some flares later, and the place was singed up and messy, and Chen was terrified, not to mention bruised. When they asked again, this time a little less kindly, he gave them what they asked for.
Chen was very shaken after this, and it unfortunately began to color his opinions on benders as well. Kicking his father from his job, stealing from him and his father, and even his grandparents' farm had been undermined by earthbenders! But he knew that they had been blessed with great gifts, and he had not been. It was merely how things were. Besides, his friends were benders, and they were good people. He remembered what his father had felt- and he had resolved not to feel that. He did his best to focus on the good, and ignore the massing people itching for a change... for a revolution.
He kept looking for better work, though he was constantly frustrated by failure. One day, 3 years after taking the restaurant job, Chen helped a man from Future Industries change a tire on his truck. Chen's kindness earned him a good word into the business, and an interview for a job. Hiroshi Sato himself dropped by to give the stunned young man a handshake, saying that such kindness and hard work did not go un-appreciated. Mr. Sato then instructed the man to show Chen how his job would go.
The man whom he'd helped was named Wenyan, and he was a whimsical middle aged man whose physical strength had left him, but who had a burgeoning interest and knowledge in the spiritual. While Wenyan drove around, and Chen helped with loading and unloading packages, Wenyan would often muse on the nature of things, the proper way to act or react, etc. Chen soaked it up like a sponge. Wenyan may as well have been a college professor. Their discussions were not refined, but they encouraged Chen to keep learning. And he did.
Only a year later, Chen had been promoted to a driver position himself. He still works there today, 3 years later. He enjoys his work, and considers himself blessed, even though he is still single, and not rich- but he has good friends. He talks to Wenyan when he can, he reads and writes, and he visits his family sometimes. And then, there are his friends, Shen and Nanuk, who he treasures as well. He hopes never to let them down, whether it be helping Nanuk with his gambling problem, pulling Shen out of the path of cars (again), or shielding them from something far more sinister.
Sample RP: Chen shifted down as he brought the car up the long ramp into the warehouse. The lower revs helped the car climb at a more steady rate. As the truck disappeared into the building, he shifted into neutral and coasted to his parking space, shutting the engine off and getting out. He hopped out of the car, and stretched. He was in his knickerbockers today, with the green shirt. He had woken up to see the sun shining, and for some reason, green had seemed like a good color to wear.
He walked towards the area to checkout from work, already feeling a little less listless. No matter how much he enjoyed work (there was something tremendously rewarding about driving a big, rumbling truck) he always felt a little bored or weary towards the end of the day. He punched out and nodded at his co-workers, giving Wenyan a talking to- the old man had been tardy for their last discussion. Wenyan was getting on in years, nearly 65 now, but in truth, he was as spry as he ever had be, and cuffed Chen on the shoulder, telling him to mind his manners. Chen shrugged, and walked off- it was nearly nighttime. No matter what the troubles with being single were, being able to do what you wanted at night was not one of them.
He walked a few blocks, being careful to keep an eye out, and to walk with the crowds, towards his home, ducking into his favorite bar and restaurant. As he spotted Shen and Nanuk in the corner, he called to a waitress to bring him his usual salad and soup. And a beer, of course.
Ah yes, tonight was going to be a good night. He grinned widely as he saw his friends, and sat down. A very good night indeed.
He's a normal guy. Deal with it.