Post by Shen Fàn on Aug 3, 2012 13:56:43 GMT -5
Name: Shen Fàn
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Nation of Origin: United Republic
Bender? What Element?: Yes, Fire-Bender
Physical Appearance: Even before getting to know the man, Shen's physical appearance says much about his character, and can lead others to make conclusions that are generally correct about him. While from a distance, Shen's bright auburn hair may seem inviting and even suggest something of an extrovert, upon closing the gap between him and themselves, the observer will find Shen's dark sienna, narrow-set eyes to be rather serious. Always looking to analyze even the most mundane of situations, Shen's eyes dart from object to object, taking in as much of the environment as he can so as to better react to outside stimuli. Being that he spends a majority of his time away from home and much of this time outdoors, Shen's skin is a tad darker than the typical pallid complexion of a citizen of the Fire Nation, in spite of his line being comprised solely of said citizens and their descendents.
Shen's face is square in nature, and even with a neutral expression he seems always to look rather determined (although this determination can quickly morph into frustration if he is bothered by something or someone in particular). He has rather full lips, the lower of which he has a very bad habit of biting; this is not a sign of any sort of anxiousness on his part but rather something he does regardless of his state of mind. He has a smaller nose, one that seems to form subtly from the natural curve of his face, rather than jutting out in some overt manner.
Standing at a somewhat average 5'8”, Shen is not the most physically imposing specimen. Weighing in at 150 lbs, Shen is rather physically fit, although he is no bodybuilder or bronzed god. He stays physically active as a way to pass the time, as there isn't much going on that is of interest to him when he isn't watching a game or cooking. Although raised in a supportive, even privileged environment, Shen does not seem to be the product of such notable beginnings at all. Because of his occupation, his hands and forearms have many rather serious scars that people generally find gruesome, or repulsive. Although a very capable bender in his own right, he is perhaps not as sure-handed when it comes to cooking utensils as some of his ancestors, hence the origin of many of these long-healed wounds. As a result of these wounds, and not wanting his appearance to hurt business, he tries his best to hide them from the public eye.
Speaking of his hair specifically, Shen's bright auburn locks extend to just below shoulder-length. While his hair is naturally healthy and strong, he does not tend to it whatsoever. He prefers to keep it simple, pulling it into something of a top-knot so as to look nice without any of the effort required to maintain a more complex style, and keep hair out of any food he prepares. Because he was brought up to always try to look as presentable as possible on a regular basis, he doesn't have much trouble throwing his hair into this style, if it means looking just a bit better for potential customers. His hair will vary from day to day, with the only constant being it being rather messy and not in fashion whatsoever. Going along with this trend, Shen never seems to fit the level of clean expected by the typical citizen of Republic City. He bathes semi-regularly, as hygiene does actually matter to him, but the state of his clothing may lead others to believe that cleanliness doesn't matter to him whatsoever.
Clothing: In a similar vein to the way he feels about his hair, the clothes that Shen wears don't usually get much attention from him. He does, however, tend to stick to one type of outfit upon which he will vary a few small elements. Although he was raised to always present himself in a pristine, flawless manner so as to seem better than another, he disregards this notion entirely. Some of his outfit is left over from when he ran away from home, and as such is very high quality and expensive. However, even the naked eye can tell that any scrap of cloth that falls into this category has also experienced wear and tear over the years that has left it tattered, ragged, and dirty. Shen, as one might have been able to guess, rarely washes his clothes.
On his legs he typically wears flannel Knickerbocker-type pants, comprised of varying colors of gray that only accentuate the rather dull state of his attire. These are not left over from when he left home, but rather something Shen picked out once he got a bit of money both because they were cheap and they didn't limit dexterity by hanging baggy or loose whatsoever. Moving downward, Shen wears charcoal-gray, tall socks to cover any possibly exposed skin. Upon his feet, he typically dons previously shined straight black, lace-up oxford shoes. The shine of these shoes has given away to the years of grime they have been subjected to, as these are the same shoes Shen had on when he left home. Sure, they may be a tad small on him nowadays, and he has walked holes in the soles, but they were originally fine quality, and serve to protect his feet far better than having no shoes at all would.
Moving to the torso, Shen consistently wears a long-sleeved undershirt that, once upon a time, was kept white as can be. Now it is more of a...very, very light gray on its best days. On its worst...you can likely envision what kind of damage the natural secretions of the body could do to any shirt if worn continuously. Upon inspecting the shirt a bit closer, one may notice that it is of incredibly fine quality, being made of silk and very soft to the touch even after years of abuse. The shirt could, perhaps, serve as a reminder of what Shen never wants to become; a man who, in spite of all of the years of hardships he endures, remains completely rooted to his elevated beginnings. He doesn't throw it out because, well, it's a damn nice shirt. Above this he wears a short tweed suit-jacket with four buttons adorning the front, in a square pattern. It's a nicer jacket that his second culinary mentor, Fu, gave to him because it no longer fit. He wears it proudly, and treats it with an incredible amount of respect. If there is one article of clothing that he washes when it needs it, it would be this jacket.
In addition to this, Shen wears woolen gloves that match the charcoal-gray color of his socks. Although these gloves do help repel any chills he may experience, he typically has no problem with these as he can, you know, conjure fire. These generally serve to cover his hands, which as stated above are badly scarred and burned due to his own absent-mindedness and borderline clumsy nature in the kitchen.
Equipment?: Shen has no reason to carry any sort of weaponry for his own defense, being that he has his bending if he ever needs to defend himself. However, he does carry a few pieces of equipment on his person for entirely unrelated reasons. Most importantly, Shen carries with him a tattered rucksack in which he puts any and all things he may need either for his own success, or his own survival. This is made of a very cheap-looking burlap material, and is something that he clearly lifted from a previous owner who threw it away. Shen stores everything he needs in this bag, be it what petty change he earns for himself, food for later in the day or the week, or the pad of paper he found carelessly tossed away and brings to his stand to serve as something of a 'suggestion box'.
Personality: In talking about Shen, one of the most common adjectives one might hear tossed around would be easy-going. When speaking to people in general and acquaintances, Shen adopts a rather laid-back attitude, not getting worked up very easily and rarely seeming surprised or worried. He is a genuinely nice guy, always quick to laugh and constantly wearing a smile on his face. This has lead to him being something of a success in distributing food to the general public, as he is able to strike up a conversation on any number of topics and relate to those he speaks with entirely. While not necessarily two-faced, Shen will go out of his way to get along with a vast majority of people, and would rather sit back and listen with a smile than correct a flawed view on the part of a conversation partner, or disagree with them and get into a debate. In his opinion, it just isn't worth the aggravation that comes with talking to those who ignorantly follow their own views, regardless of any logic or retort that is presented to them. If pushed too far, Shen will defend his position with poise and respect, but will never get overly wordy. He is of the opinion that it is better to use common language, regardless of how eloquent or extensive one's vocabulary is. Stringing simple terms together is always a better idea than breaking the flow of a conversation by throwing out a giant word, thereby succeeding only in making yourself look pretentious.
There a forum of debate, however, that forces Shen out of his easy-going default and into a manic, passionate defense. As he has spent much of his life watching, studying, and playing pro-bending, he will not back down on any opinions he has about the game, its teams, or its players. If he hears someone supporting a team he dislikes, or disparaging one of his favorite teams, he will immediately enter the conversation like a bat out of hell, showing the other person exactly why they are an imbecile for thinking such things, and running a clinic on kicking some serious verbal butt. Although he is definitely not the sharpest tool in the shed ordinarily, when discussing pro-bending he will pull facts out of his memory bank from years and years ago, making himself seem to have an almost eidetic memory when it comes to the game. Although he does not have much experience when it comes to playing the game at a level above amateur, street games, he presents himself as something of an expert, making it very difficult for most people to feel as if they have any right to be questioning his knowledge.
Because of his upbringing, Shen has a very adamant attitude in regards to anyone's sense of entitlement. From a young age, he has wholeheartedly believed in the virtues that isolation and individualism can instill in a man. He personally believes in the tenets of rugged individualism, and strives to always stand on his own two feet and never allow anything to be handed to him, whether because of his heritage, family name, or whatever else. He reacts negatively toward others that make use of such unfair advantages, although he will hold his tongue unless he either knows the person very well, or is driven to extreme frustration by it. His obsession with pro-bending stems from his belief that it represents fairness and equal footing, regardless of social status.
While Shen is not necessarily a purist when it comes to benders as opposed to non-benders, his philosophy does seem to place an emphasis on the power of the individual, which would pertain to one's bending capabilities, as well. Though he tries to view all people evenly, considering both one of his best friends and many people he cares for are not benders, he cannot help but think that one must define themselves by their own capabilities. If non-benders are being treated unfairly, then rather than complaining of their lot in life they should improve themselves, and make up for the disadvantage nature has dealt them. At this point in time, Shen does not recognize the hypocrisy that comes with that line of thought (in that his father valued wealth and social status in the same way that he values naturally granted ability and overall power), but it remains completely present.
Though his family line is made up solely of Fire Nation residents, Shen does not care about heritage in the least. He views it in the same way that he views inherited wealth; why should he be proud of the blood that runs through his veins, or where his mother and father were from? He is proud to be a citizen of Republic City, and while he recognizes that there is a serious problem with gang violence, he believes it to be a much better place than any outside of the United Republic. This is not because of any sort of inherit nationalism on his part. He merely believes that the location in which pro-bending is most played deserves to be capital of everything and anything.
As of late, he has taken a very active approach in trying to find a pro-bending team. This is mostly due to the death of his former employer, Fu, who encouraged him to get out there and make a name for himself beyond the somewhat mediocre stand he was running. Before this, he was merely content with finding a way to support himself and biding his time, but since Fu's death, he has decided that there is no time like the present, and has redoubled his efforts.
Background: Born the privileged son of XunBao Fàn, and a direct descendent of Meilan of the Xiaoli family, it was clear even before his birth that Shen Fàn would never have problems with money. With the Xiaoli Produce Corporation booming not only in its base of operations, the Fire Nation, but also in the Earth Kingdom and the United Republic, the future of any children born into that line looked brighter than ever before. Though not a member of the main branch of the family, as the first boy born into his generation of the Fàn family, it was entirely possible that control of the branch of the family based in the United Republic could eventually fall to him (so long as XunBao's older brother failed to produce a son). Because of this, from an early age Shen was bred to be a fine, proper gentleman who could hold his own in high-class society.
In the face of such high expectations, the realization that the boy was a Fire-Bender was not exactly a monumental turn of events, as it may be for some people. After all, the boy's mother, Nuan, had come from a long line of Fire-Benders, with its roots firmly in the Fire Nation itself. As such, both XunBao and his wife had been expecting abilities of that kind to possibly manifest themselves in their son. Though Shen found his bending capabilities fascinating, his attention was immediately diverted from these seemingly supernatural powers and onto the considerably more dull topic of the family business. Made to study such things as mathematics and etiquette as soon as he was able, Shen grew more and more disgruntled over time with his family and their preoccupation with wealth, prestige, and industry.
It is here that the boy's mother truly became prominent in his life. Born Nuan Jiang, the woman had always been more connected with the spiritual side of things than her husband. XunBao and Nuan had met in something of a businesslike setting. As a young man, XunBao had been working to spread the notoriety of the Xiaoli Produce Corporation by building their relationship with local vendors and restaurants of the United Republic. The transition from local farm to full-fledged business was an awkward one, and the various branches of the family were working more in tandem to make this transition as smooth as possible. Visiting a popular restaurant as something of an ambassador from the corporation, XunBao found himself quickly taken with the head chef of the establishment. Nuan Jiang, who had inherited the property from her father after he died in a tragic collision with a rolling pin, was doing her best to continue the restaurant's tradition of serving fine food with a flash; cooking each and every dish through the use of fire-bending.
Though young, Nuan had grown to be a fine chef, fire-bender, and woman. XunBao's courtship of her began as more of a business venture than an actual romance. Unsure of where to begin, as many young men are when they first lay eyes on a pretty girl, XunBao offered her a rather generous deal when it comes to supplying her with produce for use as ingredients. A clause was, however, built into the agreement that a representative from the corporation would stop in regularly to ensure that their product was being used to its utmost potential. Though this clause seemed rather restrictive, the young Nuan (who had also taken a liking to the business-minded, and not altogether unattractive XunBao) agreed, citing the low price of the produce as her reason. Though she had expected the aforementioned representative to be a new person each visit (as she knew a direct relation of the Xiaoli family would likely be busy), Nuan was surprised when XunBao continued to come in and sample her work, always acting pleasant and taking particular interest in her. It didn't take long for the two of them to realize that their individual feelings were being reciprocated, and finally, they began to truly act as something of a couple.
Although the family overall would have preferred for XunBao to set his sights higher in terms of romantic interests, the fact that Nuan owned a restaurant made the pairing acceptable. In addition to this, XunBao's mother Meilan completely supported the pair of lovers, and it was only a few short years before the two were married. Passing on the restaurant to one of her workers, rather than attempting to maintain the somewhat unnecessary asset from afar, Nuan became a devoted wife and, eventually, a stay at home mother, leading us back to the tale at hand. Although she was no longer proprietor of the above establishment, she maintained both her significant skill in fire-bending, and her knack for cooking delicious food. As the young Shen began to express doubts about his future, and a longing to expand his own ability in bending, Nuan made something of a deal with her boy. If he devoted himself entirely to his lessons and studies, she would teach him to be a fine bender in whatever free time they had.
Shen had always trusted his mother more than his father. Being that she was the one who raised him while his father was out on business trips and at meetings, both Nuan and Shen had bonded before the concept of 'father and son' even had a place in the boy's mind. Though they had nearly their every need tended to by workers around their home, Nuan maintained her interest in the culinary arts, always cooking when she had time. Shen would serve as her little helper whenever he could, doing such things as handing her ingredients she asked for and stirring the pot whenever she would allow it. More than anything, he was fascinated by the mixture of bending and cooking that Nuan continued to display (much to the dismay of the aforementioned workers, who on more than one occasion had been asked to clean singe marks off the ceiling, or put out an unruly fire). In fact, the first time young Shen had exhibited his capability to fire-bend was at the age of 5, when he was imitating his mother. He had been pretending that one of his soft, stuffed fire-ferrets was a prime piece of red meat, and had flipped it over his head and sent a small flame at it, accidentally setting it aflame. After about an hour of crying, the boy decided that this was actually a good thing, and so his interest began.
As the young Shen began to mature (as all small, adorable children eventually do), he stayed true to his word when it came to his agreement with his mother. He was developing rapidly as a fire-bender, quickly learning the basics and always being eager to learn more. It seemed almost as if his ambition to continually hone his own ability, and become a better bender fueled the flames he produced. In addition to this, he began to become something of an amateur chef in his own right, picking up tricks from his mother as she used it to supplement their bending lessons.
Although XunBao was not exactly in on the terms of their contact, he noticed a considerable increase in his son's willingness to sit through lessons, and do work on his own time. Though XunBao took this as his son maturing and accepting his position as likely heir of the Fàn family, in truth Shen remained as uninterested in such matters as he always was. In spite of this, XunBao made it a point to begin to spend more time with his son, and show him more of the company. This cut into Shen's time with his mother considerably, which is something that he did not approve of whatsoever. However, as the boy was entering his thirteenth year, Nuan agreed that it might be a good experience for him. Persuading him to go on trips with his father, and see more of the business, Nuan promised that once he gave this a chance, they could resume lessons as they had been.
Although Shen was impressed with how his father handled himself with confidence, and used his intelligence to its full potential in order to seal deals and make an impression on potential clients, something a few things about the process didn't sit right with him. The first of these was the way in which his father treated those who might be considered below him in terms of social status or within the company. Many times, he was either condescending or dismissive of them, and that wasn't even counting the help around their home, who XunBao tended to treat even worse. Shen could not understand why these people should be considered any less important or worthy than his father or himself, and asked his father about this once. XunBao gave his son something of a lecture on the various positions in which one might find themselves, based on the circumstances of their birth. As a member of a prestigious family, Shen had a duty to serve his family well, and in turn this good fortune would trickle down to others below him, and they would be able to share in some of the glory. On the flip side, those who are not fortunate enough to be a member of the Fàn, Xiaoli, or other wealthy family have a duty to serve as something of a stepping stone for those who were fortunate, to aid them to their goals. Though this sounded logical on the surface to the young boy, he still never felt comfortable with this notion, regardless of how much his father may have believed in it.
This first qualm led to the second, which led to an ideal that Shen would carry with him to the present day. Though XunBao's interactions with his subordinates bothered Shen, it was not so much the effect it had on said underlings as it was his father's own pompous attitude that irked him. Having completed quite a few years working as something of an intern with the corporation, and observing his father doing such things, he couldn't help but develop his own opinion. Why should XunBao Fàn believe himself to be any better than others? What did he have to offer, beyond inherited wealth and the fine upbringing that said wealth had purchased? He was no bender, nor was he uniquely talented in any way that money could not buy. Slowly, the storm of Shen's discontent began to brew within him, until finally he almost felt as if he could bear it no longer.
That was when something came to him from out of the blue. Something made the world seem fair once again, and proved to him that an even contest between two men was the only thing that could truly decide who was 'better'. Finishing his work for the day, he began to walk out of the office he'd been stationed in when he heard something coming from the nearby radio. It was the voice of Shiro Shinobi reporting the final moments of a pro-bending match. Shen stopped near coworkers who were all listening closely, and began to envision the match, himself. The contest pitted earth, water, and fire against earth, water, and fire; a truly fair fight. Finally, Shen listened as the fire-bender managed to score the final blow to his opponent, sending him hurdling into the drink and securing a knockout for his team. He could hardly believe how much he enjoyed listening to the sport, and he immediately had one of the workers near him explain rules, penalties, and general information about the game to him. Making use of the tried and true methods he'd developed to remember the dull lessons his father had sent him to, he immediately memorized all of this and went home with a new goal in mind.
Running to his mother, he told her right off the bat that they needed to begin fire-bending lessons again. He wanted to continue getting better and better, and would stop at nothing to eventually become one of those men he'd heard competing on the radio. However, when he revealed this goal to Nuan, she recoiled, and told him that perhaps it would be best if they put their lessons to a halt. Demanding to know why, Shen was told that, being that his uncle Xhiqiang had fathered three daughters and was unlikely to have a fourth child, Shen was the oldest male of his generation. As such, running the branch of the XPC based in the United Republic would likely someday fall to him. When Shen said that he didn't care about such things, and had no desire to be successful in business, Nuan set up a time at which Shen could meet with both her and XunBao, to voice his concerns.
This meeting time came, and Shen went to both his mother and father near the middle of his teen years and explained, albeit hotheadedly, many of the concerns he had, and his reasons for not wanting to aid in the family business. Although his mother was empathetic, and tried to reason with him, XunBao refused to hear any of it. Dismissing pro-bending as nothing but a popular fad that would die out in a few years, and telling Shen that there was absolutely no future to be had in such endeavors, he gave Shen an ultimatum. Either he applied himself and became a businessman, like his father, or he could follow this pipe dream and end up nowhere. And when he hit bottom, XunBao vowed that he would not help Shen get back up on his feet, no matter how bad his circumstances got. Rashly declaring his own independence at merely 17 years of age, Shen raced from their home with nothing but the clothes on his back and his own bending ability, and vowed that he would prove his father wrong.
Being that the Fàn residence was not far from Republic City, Shen decided that he would immediately head there. Not used to city life, Shen was completely taken aback by the bustling, busy life of those who lived in such an urban environment. After wandering into a road out of turn and nearly being struck by a satomobile, Shen was fortunate to be saved from being turned into a pancake by an older boy with long, dark hair and sapphire blue eyes. The boy introduced himself as Nanuk, and provided Shen with something to eat after introducing him to another friend of his, Chen. Over time, Shen, Chen, and Nanuk became good friends, even if the similarities the former two names held to one another confused the hell out of them quite a few times. Although he had found these friends, Shen did not want to rely on them. Just as XunBao had relied on his wealth to get him everything he had, taking too much from these two would lead to Shen being no better than his old man. As such, he instead chose to live on the street; taking up residence in whatever shelter he could find, be it natural or man-made. The local bums taught him a thing or two about foraging to survive. He learned to be charismatic and earn change on the street, how to discern which establishments or residences were most likely to throw many leftovers in the garbage, and which routes were best to run if the owners of said leftovers or, god forbid, law enforcement saw you picking in places you shouldn't be picking.
Although he wanted to test himself in the arena, and had since he arrived in Republic City, he quickly learned that most pro-bending teams qualified for the tournament and other, exhibition games together, rather than coming on their own. Looking at his network of connections, Shen knew that Nanuk was a water-bender. That would be great news, if not for the fact that Nanuk exhibited little interest in playing pro-bending at all. Chen, swinging to the other extreme, was a non-bender, and as such was not a candidate for competing. Hanging around other teens on the street, Shen competed in a few pick-up games of amateur pro-bending. These could be rather dangerous, as proper padding and protection for both the body and the head were not maintained whatsoever. However, this was usually offset by the fact that most of these minors did not have the same level of skill in bending as the professionals did. As such, getting nailed by a stray rock or a quick burst of flame wasn't as life-threatening as playing against a professional with no padding would be. There were, however, unique rules created for their own little amateur bending community to protect its players, just in case. For example, for certain, stronger players the amount of time allotted before a hosing penalty was called was reduced by a second or so. In addition to this, any player who stepped out of his own accord was 'in the drink', without having to be forced out. Targeting that player resulted in a one territory penalty. Little alterations such as this made the game safer, and could be changed easily depending on the level of the player, or the confidence of the opponent.
As a huge fan of pro-bending, Shen listened to the games on the radio whenever he possibly could. Occasionally, he could camp near a residence for a while and listen to the game through their open window. This only fueled his longing to be around the game, and compete. As such, he found himself inevitably drawn to the arena, which is where he spent the vast majority of his time. He would stand outside and imagine what it must be like to compete on such a stage, in front of all of those people. In addition to this, he continued to develop his bending ability as best as he could, while at the same time keeping his body in shape for any possible future opportunity he may find. Although he did not find an opportunity to play the game, eventually he saw something of a 'help wanted' ad posted that one of the vendors in the arena had put up. This man named Fu needed someone to cover the stand when he could not, and being that he was an elderly gentleman, this happened rather frequently. The stand attempted to serve something of a fusion of delicacies from the Earth Kingdom, Water Tribe, and Fire Nation. This led to a gigantic breadth of possibilities, though the most popular sellers seemed to be more basic things such as komodo chicken and turkey duck. Although Shen was well-versed when it came to cooking from a Fire Nation perspective, Fu hired him only on his word that he would also represent the other nations equally. As such, he began working to prepare Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe delicacies with the same casual ability that he did those of the Fire Nation. His skill increased substantially, as he proved that he could do nigh anything he set his heart and mind to, and soon he was at the level his employer desired (although he continued to have trouble with Water Tribe grub, in particular, being that seafood creeps him out).
More important than his now rather diverse culinary ability, however, was the fact that nearly every day, Shen was able to get in and see pro-bending matches. Often, he covered the stand by himself, though occasionally he was asked to come in to serve merely as a helper, and prepare the food for his second culinary mentor. The position of the stand was fortunate, as Shen was able to get a good look at a majority of the arena with the exception of one corner that he had to crane his head to peek at. Although he was a good worker overall, he was reprimanded on more than one occasion for paying more attention to the game than to his food. This also often lead to accidents, as he cut and burned himself when he was trying to cook and a game-changing moment had happened. Over time, Shen became more and more familiar with those who frequented the stand and the public in general, and though he was still living without a home, he was able to earn some money and even often get something to eat from his employer. Things continued in this manner for a good three years, and for the first time since Shen left home, it felt like someone actually cared for him.
When Fu had asked him about his family, Shen had responded by telling the man that the culinary arts were in his blood. He described his mother, and told the older man that she had run her own establishment before giving it up. Never once did he mention anything about his father, the XPC, or his last name. Over time, Shen became less of an apprentice to the man and more of an almost son-like figure. Shen would visit him and his wife at their home, and they would discuss pro-bending's rising stars for hours at a time. Although not nearly as fanatical about the sport as Shen, Fu could not help but know a few things after having worked his stand in the arena for a number of years. Fu became to Shen the father he never had; he had made a name for himself by establishing his stand, and worked hard to earn every penny he had to his name. One night, as Shen and Fu were clearing the stand and cleaning what they could, getting ready to leave, Shen mentioned to the man that he wanted to be a pro-bender, and that he had come to Republic City with the hope of making a name for himself in that way. Rather than dismissing his dream, and telling the teen it was nonsense off the bat, Fu merely shrugged his shoulders, and told Shen that if that was the case, then he should pursue any opportunity he could, and stop working at a shabby stand such as his. The two laughed at this remark, but Shen could not appreciate his comment more. For once, someone had told him that he should go out and get what he desired, and hadn't told him to maintain some status quo or do what others expect of him. That night, in spite of being out in a storm, Shen felt safe, dry, and at home for the first time in years.
It was crushing, then, when just two years ago Shen learned that Fu had passed in his sleep that very night. Mourning the loss of the man he considered his father, his teacher, and his friend, Fu's wife let Shen know that her husband had left the stand to him, and that he could do with it as he wished. Shen decided that the very next time he was given the opportunity to go after his dream, he would. Until then, he would continue to work the stand, keeping its name as “Fu's Foods” in honor of his late father-figure. He began to spread his name around, talking to any pro-benders, trainers, or managers he could about his desire. Shen hoped that, through word of mouth, he may find a budding team that he could join, and finally be able to play professionally. This is the predicament that the young Shen is in currently, halfway through his twenties and hoping that he might catch a break and finally achieve his goal. He has seen the rise and fall of many very talented benders over the years; however, the rise that he fully believes is owed to him has yet to come.
Though he runs into his cousin Ai Fen at the arena somewhat often, being that it would be difficult for her to miss him, he has not reconnected with his family or the family business whatsoever. Shen has made it a point to tell Ai Fen that he doesn't have any desire to return, and that anything that happens with the XPC is none of his concern. Although he now runs his own stand, he is still living on the streets. He attempts to keep his state of living to himself; not even letting his friends or cousin know about it, because he doesn't want to rely on anyone's pity.
RP Sample: “Step right up, step right up!”
Shen gazed out at the crowd, attempting to keep his attention fixed on the people and not the love of his life, who was positioned in the very heart of the arena, constantly a source of distraction for him. He stirred somewhat rapidly, attempting to keep his five-flavored soup from burning as flames from the fire he'd lit bathed the bottom of the pot, maintaining a very hot temperature. He had no idea as to why someone would ever want five flavors to be present in one simple soup, but he had learned not to question what the consumer was willing to pay for. Nor what Water Tribe folk were willing to stomach. Wrinkling his nose at the scent, Shen directed his gaze up once more to the center of the arena, trying his best to make out exactly what each player was doing. The water-bender dodged a somewhat clumsily thrown rock disk, going in for the counter by sending a bullet of water right at the opposing earth-bender's head. The opposing fire-bender then sent a burst of flame forth, turning the water to steam before it could reach his teammate. It was two on one, the water-bender was all alone against two opponents, but may still be able to pull it out. She dodged under a burst of flame, then over a rock disk ricocheted off the side ropes before sending another blast of water at the fire-bender this time, who was hit in the head and stumbled back to zone two. The water-bender got a bit too cocky, and immediately received a hit in the lower-torso from a rock disk, sent rolling back, back, BACK...
That was around when Shen realized that he wasn't feeling the heat of the game, but rather an altogether very real heat that was spewing down the sides of his pot. Pulling his hand back and wiping boiling-hot five-flavor soup from it, he tried his best not to cry out and draw attention to his mistake, quickly sticking his hand in a tub of cool water he had prepared for just such an occasion. Relieved by the cool touch of the water, yet knowing there would be yet another burn, Shen grabbed the pot and poured some of the soup out into a large bowl for the customer. ”Five flavor soup, right here!” He exclaimed, smiling at the man and thanking him for his patronage. Looking over, he supposed the incident had cost him missing the very end of that knockout, as the fire and earth-benders were celebrating and the water-bender was pulling herself up out of the drink. It was unfortunate that the water-bender had been the last left on her team; while water was definitely incredibly versatile, and allowed for head shots, it was at the same time not as inherently intimidating as fire, or as powerful as earth. Shen had always found that, historically, having an earth or fire-bender as the last man standing was a better bet than a water-bender. The fire-bender could force the enemy back with only the heat of his flame; after all, it was a basic fact of life that fire typically inspires fear, regardless of how much padding one has on. Along with this, the earth-bender's disks were more likely to pack a punch than any flame or blast of water, simply because the former is a solid where the latter two are not.
Reflecting for a moment on his own situation, Shen pulled his hand out of the water, and observed what damage had been done. He'd taken off his glove for the sole purpose of being able to get a better read on the temperature of his soup, so it wouldn't boil over. Maybe if he'd been wearing one, that hot-pink blemish on his...well, already blemished hands wouldn't be there. Examining them, he found that each burn and each cut told a story, just as a rather cliché description might say, though the stories tended to be identical to one another. That cut, he'd received while chopping up some poultry before hearing a gasp from the crowd and looking up. He hadn't noticed for a second or so that he'd moved from chopping the poultry to chopping himself. That burn came from him catching a steaming hot slab of meat with his bare hands, forgetting that it was no longer raw. His mother had always told him to be aware of what he was doing, and never make careless mistakes. She'd said that their family line was full of absent-minded chefs who couldn't help but nick themselves up over time, and now Shen couldn't help but admit that this must be true. Shaking off his hand and replacing his glove, he went over to the pad on which he asked patrons to write suggestions, just to check its progress.
”Let's see...'Tigerdillos for life', 'Marry me Mako', 'Go to Narook's'...” He took a moment to rip that last message out of the pad before deciding that it wasn't going to do him any good reading random messages left by the typical citizen that frequented these games...who, by the way, appeared to be an idiot. He couldn't count the number of times he'd heard some girl going crazy over Tahno in the past week, and it infuriated him. It had gotten to the point where he considered not serving anyone who expressed support for the Captain of the Wolfbats, though he supposed that wouldn't be fair. Mentally crushing Tahno's head, before letting out a shout of encouragement for his favorites, the Ember Island Eel Hounds, Shen went about the task of cleaning out the pot he'd just used, so it would be available for another, slightly less heinous dish. Would he be working here until he was old, and unable to do anything but watch the young athletes down there compete? He hoped with all his might that his efforts would be worth it as he finished cleaning, drying his hands.
Sighing, he glanced up and saw that there was a new patron at his stand. Adopting a broad grin once more, he walked over to the man and started speaking once more.
”Step right up, step right up...”
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Nation of Origin: United Republic
Bender? What Element?: Yes, Fire-Bender
Physical Appearance: Even before getting to know the man, Shen's physical appearance says much about his character, and can lead others to make conclusions that are generally correct about him. While from a distance, Shen's bright auburn hair may seem inviting and even suggest something of an extrovert, upon closing the gap between him and themselves, the observer will find Shen's dark sienna, narrow-set eyes to be rather serious. Always looking to analyze even the most mundane of situations, Shen's eyes dart from object to object, taking in as much of the environment as he can so as to better react to outside stimuli. Being that he spends a majority of his time away from home and much of this time outdoors, Shen's skin is a tad darker than the typical pallid complexion of a citizen of the Fire Nation, in spite of his line being comprised solely of said citizens and their descendents.
Shen's face is square in nature, and even with a neutral expression he seems always to look rather determined (although this determination can quickly morph into frustration if he is bothered by something or someone in particular). He has rather full lips, the lower of which he has a very bad habit of biting; this is not a sign of any sort of anxiousness on his part but rather something he does regardless of his state of mind. He has a smaller nose, one that seems to form subtly from the natural curve of his face, rather than jutting out in some overt manner.
Standing at a somewhat average 5'8”, Shen is not the most physically imposing specimen. Weighing in at 150 lbs, Shen is rather physically fit, although he is no bodybuilder or bronzed god. He stays physically active as a way to pass the time, as there isn't much going on that is of interest to him when he isn't watching a game or cooking. Although raised in a supportive, even privileged environment, Shen does not seem to be the product of such notable beginnings at all. Because of his occupation, his hands and forearms have many rather serious scars that people generally find gruesome, or repulsive. Although a very capable bender in his own right, he is perhaps not as sure-handed when it comes to cooking utensils as some of his ancestors, hence the origin of many of these long-healed wounds. As a result of these wounds, and not wanting his appearance to hurt business, he tries his best to hide them from the public eye.
Speaking of his hair specifically, Shen's bright auburn locks extend to just below shoulder-length. While his hair is naturally healthy and strong, he does not tend to it whatsoever. He prefers to keep it simple, pulling it into something of a top-knot so as to look nice without any of the effort required to maintain a more complex style, and keep hair out of any food he prepares. Because he was brought up to always try to look as presentable as possible on a regular basis, he doesn't have much trouble throwing his hair into this style, if it means looking just a bit better for potential customers. His hair will vary from day to day, with the only constant being it being rather messy and not in fashion whatsoever. Going along with this trend, Shen never seems to fit the level of clean expected by the typical citizen of Republic City. He bathes semi-regularly, as hygiene does actually matter to him, but the state of his clothing may lead others to believe that cleanliness doesn't matter to him whatsoever.
Clothing: In a similar vein to the way he feels about his hair, the clothes that Shen wears don't usually get much attention from him. He does, however, tend to stick to one type of outfit upon which he will vary a few small elements. Although he was raised to always present himself in a pristine, flawless manner so as to seem better than another, he disregards this notion entirely. Some of his outfit is left over from when he ran away from home, and as such is very high quality and expensive. However, even the naked eye can tell that any scrap of cloth that falls into this category has also experienced wear and tear over the years that has left it tattered, ragged, and dirty. Shen, as one might have been able to guess, rarely washes his clothes.
On his legs he typically wears flannel Knickerbocker-type pants, comprised of varying colors of gray that only accentuate the rather dull state of his attire. These are not left over from when he left home, but rather something Shen picked out once he got a bit of money both because they were cheap and they didn't limit dexterity by hanging baggy or loose whatsoever. Moving downward, Shen wears charcoal-gray, tall socks to cover any possibly exposed skin. Upon his feet, he typically dons previously shined straight black, lace-up oxford shoes. The shine of these shoes has given away to the years of grime they have been subjected to, as these are the same shoes Shen had on when he left home. Sure, they may be a tad small on him nowadays, and he has walked holes in the soles, but they were originally fine quality, and serve to protect his feet far better than having no shoes at all would.
Moving to the torso, Shen consistently wears a long-sleeved undershirt that, once upon a time, was kept white as can be. Now it is more of a...very, very light gray on its best days. On its worst...you can likely envision what kind of damage the natural secretions of the body could do to any shirt if worn continuously. Upon inspecting the shirt a bit closer, one may notice that it is of incredibly fine quality, being made of silk and very soft to the touch even after years of abuse. The shirt could, perhaps, serve as a reminder of what Shen never wants to become; a man who, in spite of all of the years of hardships he endures, remains completely rooted to his elevated beginnings. He doesn't throw it out because, well, it's a damn nice shirt. Above this he wears a short tweed suit-jacket with four buttons adorning the front, in a square pattern. It's a nicer jacket that his second culinary mentor, Fu, gave to him because it no longer fit. He wears it proudly, and treats it with an incredible amount of respect. If there is one article of clothing that he washes when it needs it, it would be this jacket.
In addition to this, Shen wears woolen gloves that match the charcoal-gray color of his socks. Although these gloves do help repel any chills he may experience, he typically has no problem with these as he can, you know, conjure fire. These generally serve to cover his hands, which as stated above are badly scarred and burned due to his own absent-mindedness and borderline clumsy nature in the kitchen.
Equipment?: Shen has no reason to carry any sort of weaponry for his own defense, being that he has his bending if he ever needs to defend himself. However, he does carry a few pieces of equipment on his person for entirely unrelated reasons. Most importantly, Shen carries with him a tattered rucksack in which he puts any and all things he may need either for his own success, or his own survival. This is made of a very cheap-looking burlap material, and is something that he clearly lifted from a previous owner who threw it away. Shen stores everything he needs in this bag, be it what petty change he earns for himself, food for later in the day or the week, or the pad of paper he found carelessly tossed away and brings to his stand to serve as something of a 'suggestion box'.
Personality: In talking about Shen, one of the most common adjectives one might hear tossed around would be easy-going. When speaking to people in general and acquaintances, Shen adopts a rather laid-back attitude, not getting worked up very easily and rarely seeming surprised or worried. He is a genuinely nice guy, always quick to laugh and constantly wearing a smile on his face. This has lead to him being something of a success in distributing food to the general public, as he is able to strike up a conversation on any number of topics and relate to those he speaks with entirely. While not necessarily two-faced, Shen will go out of his way to get along with a vast majority of people, and would rather sit back and listen with a smile than correct a flawed view on the part of a conversation partner, or disagree with them and get into a debate. In his opinion, it just isn't worth the aggravation that comes with talking to those who ignorantly follow their own views, regardless of any logic or retort that is presented to them. If pushed too far, Shen will defend his position with poise and respect, but will never get overly wordy. He is of the opinion that it is better to use common language, regardless of how eloquent or extensive one's vocabulary is. Stringing simple terms together is always a better idea than breaking the flow of a conversation by throwing out a giant word, thereby succeeding only in making yourself look pretentious.
There a forum of debate, however, that forces Shen out of his easy-going default and into a manic, passionate defense. As he has spent much of his life watching, studying, and playing pro-bending, he will not back down on any opinions he has about the game, its teams, or its players. If he hears someone supporting a team he dislikes, or disparaging one of his favorite teams, he will immediately enter the conversation like a bat out of hell, showing the other person exactly why they are an imbecile for thinking such things, and running a clinic on kicking some serious verbal butt. Although he is definitely not the sharpest tool in the shed ordinarily, when discussing pro-bending he will pull facts out of his memory bank from years and years ago, making himself seem to have an almost eidetic memory when it comes to the game. Although he does not have much experience when it comes to playing the game at a level above amateur, street games, he presents himself as something of an expert, making it very difficult for most people to feel as if they have any right to be questioning his knowledge.
Because of his upbringing, Shen has a very adamant attitude in regards to anyone's sense of entitlement. From a young age, he has wholeheartedly believed in the virtues that isolation and individualism can instill in a man. He personally believes in the tenets of rugged individualism, and strives to always stand on his own two feet and never allow anything to be handed to him, whether because of his heritage, family name, or whatever else. He reacts negatively toward others that make use of such unfair advantages, although he will hold his tongue unless he either knows the person very well, or is driven to extreme frustration by it. His obsession with pro-bending stems from his belief that it represents fairness and equal footing, regardless of social status.
While Shen is not necessarily a purist when it comes to benders as opposed to non-benders, his philosophy does seem to place an emphasis on the power of the individual, which would pertain to one's bending capabilities, as well. Though he tries to view all people evenly, considering both one of his best friends and many people he cares for are not benders, he cannot help but think that one must define themselves by their own capabilities. If non-benders are being treated unfairly, then rather than complaining of their lot in life they should improve themselves, and make up for the disadvantage nature has dealt them. At this point in time, Shen does not recognize the hypocrisy that comes with that line of thought (in that his father valued wealth and social status in the same way that he values naturally granted ability and overall power), but it remains completely present.
Though his family line is made up solely of Fire Nation residents, Shen does not care about heritage in the least. He views it in the same way that he views inherited wealth; why should he be proud of the blood that runs through his veins, or where his mother and father were from? He is proud to be a citizen of Republic City, and while he recognizes that there is a serious problem with gang violence, he believes it to be a much better place than any outside of the United Republic. This is not because of any sort of inherit nationalism on his part. He merely believes that the location in which pro-bending is most played deserves to be capital of everything and anything.
As of late, he has taken a very active approach in trying to find a pro-bending team. This is mostly due to the death of his former employer, Fu, who encouraged him to get out there and make a name for himself beyond the somewhat mediocre stand he was running. Before this, he was merely content with finding a way to support himself and biding his time, but since Fu's death, he has decided that there is no time like the present, and has redoubled his efforts.
Background: Born the privileged son of XunBao Fàn, and a direct descendent of Meilan of the Xiaoli family, it was clear even before his birth that Shen Fàn would never have problems with money. With the Xiaoli Produce Corporation booming not only in its base of operations, the Fire Nation, but also in the Earth Kingdom and the United Republic, the future of any children born into that line looked brighter than ever before. Though not a member of the main branch of the family, as the first boy born into his generation of the Fàn family, it was entirely possible that control of the branch of the family based in the United Republic could eventually fall to him (so long as XunBao's older brother failed to produce a son). Because of this, from an early age Shen was bred to be a fine, proper gentleman who could hold his own in high-class society.
In the face of such high expectations, the realization that the boy was a Fire-Bender was not exactly a monumental turn of events, as it may be for some people. After all, the boy's mother, Nuan, had come from a long line of Fire-Benders, with its roots firmly in the Fire Nation itself. As such, both XunBao and his wife had been expecting abilities of that kind to possibly manifest themselves in their son. Though Shen found his bending capabilities fascinating, his attention was immediately diverted from these seemingly supernatural powers and onto the considerably more dull topic of the family business. Made to study such things as mathematics and etiquette as soon as he was able, Shen grew more and more disgruntled over time with his family and their preoccupation with wealth, prestige, and industry.
It is here that the boy's mother truly became prominent in his life. Born Nuan Jiang, the woman had always been more connected with the spiritual side of things than her husband. XunBao and Nuan had met in something of a businesslike setting. As a young man, XunBao had been working to spread the notoriety of the Xiaoli Produce Corporation by building their relationship with local vendors and restaurants of the United Republic. The transition from local farm to full-fledged business was an awkward one, and the various branches of the family were working more in tandem to make this transition as smooth as possible. Visiting a popular restaurant as something of an ambassador from the corporation, XunBao found himself quickly taken with the head chef of the establishment. Nuan Jiang, who had inherited the property from her father after he died in a tragic collision with a rolling pin, was doing her best to continue the restaurant's tradition of serving fine food with a flash; cooking each and every dish through the use of fire-bending.
Though young, Nuan had grown to be a fine chef, fire-bender, and woman. XunBao's courtship of her began as more of a business venture than an actual romance. Unsure of where to begin, as many young men are when they first lay eyes on a pretty girl, XunBao offered her a rather generous deal when it comes to supplying her with produce for use as ingredients. A clause was, however, built into the agreement that a representative from the corporation would stop in regularly to ensure that their product was being used to its utmost potential. Though this clause seemed rather restrictive, the young Nuan (who had also taken a liking to the business-minded, and not altogether unattractive XunBao) agreed, citing the low price of the produce as her reason. Though she had expected the aforementioned representative to be a new person each visit (as she knew a direct relation of the Xiaoli family would likely be busy), Nuan was surprised when XunBao continued to come in and sample her work, always acting pleasant and taking particular interest in her. It didn't take long for the two of them to realize that their individual feelings were being reciprocated, and finally, they began to truly act as something of a couple.
Although the family overall would have preferred for XunBao to set his sights higher in terms of romantic interests, the fact that Nuan owned a restaurant made the pairing acceptable. In addition to this, XunBao's mother Meilan completely supported the pair of lovers, and it was only a few short years before the two were married. Passing on the restaurant to one of her workers, rather than attempting to maintain the somewhat unnecessary asset from afar, Nuan became a devoted wife and, eventually, a stay at home mother, leading us back to the tale at hand. Although she was no longer proprietor of the above establishment, she maintained both her significant skill in fire-bending, and her knack for cooking delicious food. As the young Shen began to express doubts about his future, and a longing to expand his own ability in bending, Nuan made something of a deal with her boy. If he devoted himself entirely to his lessons and studies, she would teach him to be a fine bender in whatever free time they had.
Shen had always trusted his mother more than his father. Being that she was the one who raised him while his father was out on business trips and at meetings, both Nuan and Shen had bonded before the concept of 'father and son' even had a place in the boy's mind. Though they had nearly their every need tended to by workers around their home, Nuan maintained her interest in the culinary arts, always cooking when she had time. Shen would serve as her little helper whenever he could, doing such things as handing her ingredients she asked for and stirring the pot whenever she would allow it. More than anything, he was fascinated by the mixture of bending and cooking that Nuan continued to display (much to the dismay of the aforementioned workers, who on more than one occasion had been asked to clean singe marks off the ceiling, or put out an unruly fire). In fact, the first time young Shen had exhibited his capability to fire-bend was at the age of 5, when he was imitating his mother. He had been pretending that one of his soft, stuffed fire-ferrets was a prime piece of red meat, and had flipped it over his head and sent a small flame at it, accidentally setting it aflame. After about an hour of crying, the boy decided that this was actually a good thing, and so his interest began.
As the young Shen began to mature (as all small, adorable children eventually do), he stayed true to his word when it came to his agreement with his mother. He was developing rapidly as a fire-bender, quickly learning the basics and always being eager to learn more. It seemed almost as if his ambition to continually hone his own ability, and become a better bender fueled the flames he produced. In addition to this, he began to become something of an amateur chef in his own right, picking up tricks from his mother as she used it to supplement their bending lessons.
Although XunBao was not exactly in on the terms of their contact, he noticed a considerable increase in his son's willingness to sit through lessons, and do work on his own time. Though XunBao took this as his son maturing and accepting his position as likely heir of the Fàn family, in truth Shen remained as uninterested in such matters as he always was. In spite of this, XunBao made it a point to begin to spend more time with his son, and show him more of the company. This cut into Shen's time with his mother considerably, which is something that he did not approve of whatsoever. However, as the boy was entering his thirteenth year, Nuan agreed that it might be a good experience for him. Persuading him to go on trips with his father, and see more of the business, Nuan promised that once he gave this a chance, they could resume lessons as they had been.
Although Shen was impressed with how his father handled himself with confidence, and used his intelligence to its full potential in order to seal deals and make an impression on potential clients, something a few things about the process didn't sit right with him. The first of these was the way in which his father treated those who might be considered below him in terms of social status or within the company. Many times, he was either condescending or dismissive of them, and that wasn't even counting the help around their home, who XunBao tended to treat even worse. Shen could not understand why these people should be considered any less important or worthy than his father or himself, and asked his father about this once. XunBao gave his son something of a lecture on the various positions in which one might find themselves, based on the circumstances of their birth. As a member of a prestigious family, Shen had a duty to serve his family well, and in turn this good fortune would trickle down to others below him, and they would be able to share in some of the glory. On the flip side, those who are not fortunate enough to be a member of the Fàn, Xiaoli, or other wealthy family have a duty to serve as something of a stepping stone for those who were fortunate, to aid them to their goals. Though this sounded logical on the surface to the young boy, he still never felt comfortable with this notion, regardless of how much his father may have believed in it.
This first qualm led to the second, which led to an ideal that Shen would carry with him to the present day. Though XunBao's interactions with his subordinates bothered Shen, it was not so much the effect it had on said underlings as it was his father's own pompous attitude that irked him. Having completed quite a few years working as something of an intern with the corporation, and observing his father doing such things, he couldn't help but develop his own opinion. Why should XunBao Fàn believe himself to be any better than others? What did he have to offer, beyond inherited wealth and the fine upbringing that said wealth had purchased? He was no bender, nor was he uniquely talented in any way that money could not buy. Slowly, the storm of Shen's discontent began to brew within him, until finally he almost felt as if he could bear it no longer.
That was when something came to him from out of the blue. Something made the world seem fair once again, and proved to him that an even contest between two men was the only thing that could truly decide who was 'better'. Finishing his work for the day, he began to walk out of the office he'd been stationed in when he heard something coming from the nearby radio. It was the voice of Shiro Shinobi reporting the final moments of a pro-bending match. Shen stopped near coworkers who were all listening closely, and began to envision the match, himself. The contest pitted earth, water, and fire against earth, water, and fire; a truly fair fight. Finally, Shen listened as the fire-bender managed to score the final blow to his opponent, sending him hurdling into the drink and securing a knockout for his team. He could hardly believe how much he enjoyed listening to the sport, and he immediately had one of the workers near him explain rules, penalties, and general information about the game to him. Making use of the tried and true methods he'd developed to remember the dull lessons his father had sent him to, he immediately memorized all of this and went home with a new goal in mind.
Running to his mother, he told her right off the bat that they needed to begin fire-bending lessons again. He wanted to continue getting better and better, and would stop at nothing to eventually become one of those men he'd heard competing on the radio. However, when he revealed this goal to Nuan, she recoiled, and told him that perhaps it would be best if they put their lessons to a halt. Demanding to know why, Shen was told that, being that his uncle Xhiqiang had fathered three daughters and was unlikely to have a fourth child, Shen was the oldest male of his generation. As such, running the branch of the XPC based in the United Republic would likely someday fall to him. When Shen said that he didn't care about such things, and had no desire to be successful in business, Nuan set up a time at which Shen could meet with both her and XunBao, to voice his concerns.
This meeting time came, and Shen went to both his mother and father near the middle of his teen years and explained, albeit hotheadedly, many of the concerns he had, and his reasons for not wanting to aid in the family business. Although his mother was empathetic, and tried to reason with him, XunBao refused to hear any of it. Dismissing pro-bending as nothing but a popular fad that would die out in a few years, and telling Shen that there was absolutely no future to be had in such endeavors, he gave Shen an ultimatum. Either he applied himself and became a businessman, like his father, or he could follow this pipe dream and end up nowhere. And when he hit bottom, XunBao vowed that he would not help Shen get back up on his feet, no matter how bad his circumstances got. Rashly declaring his own independence at merely 17 years of age, Shen raced from their home with nothing but the clothes on his back and his own bending ability, and vowed that he would prove his father wrong.
Being that the Fàn residence was not far from Republic City, Shen decided that he would immediately head there. Not used to city life, Shen was completely taken aback by the bustling, busy life of those who lived in such an urban environment. After wandering into a road out of turn and nearly being struck by a satomobile, Shen was fortunate to be saved from being turned into a pancake by an older boy with long, dark hair and sapphire blue eyes. The boy introduced himself as Nanuk, and provided Shen with something to eat after introducing him to another friend of his, Chen. Over time, Shen, Chen, and Nanuk became good friends, even if the similarities the former two names held to one another confused the hell out of them quite a few times. Although he had found these friends, Shen did not want to rely on them. Just as XunBao had relied on his wealth to get him everything he had, taking too much from these two would lead to Shen being no better than his old man. As such, he instead chose to live on the street; taking up residence in whatever shelter he could find, be it natural or man-made. The local bums taught him a thing or two about foraging to survive. He learned to be charismatic and earn change on the street, how to discern which establishments or residences were most likely to throw many leftovers in the garbage, and which routes were best to run if the owners of said leftovers or, god forbid, law enforcement saw you picking in places you shouldn't be picking.
Although he wanted to test himself in the arena, and had since he arrived in Republic City, he quickly learned that most pro-bending teams qualified for the tournament and other, exhibition games together, rather than coming on their own. Looking at his network of connections, Shen knew that Nanuk was a water-bender. That would be great news, if not for the fact that Nanuk exhibited little interest in playing pro-bending at all. Chen, swinging to the other extreme, was a non-bender, and as such was not a candidate for competing. Hanging around other teens on the street, Shen competed in a few pick-up games of amateur pro-bending. These could be rather dangerous, as proper padding and protection for both the body and the head were not maintained whatsoever. However, this was usually offset by the fact that most of these minors did not have the same level of skill in bending as the professionals did. As such, getting nailed by a stray rock or a quick burst of flame wasn't as life-threatening as playing against a professional with no padding would be. There were, however, unique rules created for their own little amateur bending community to protect its players, just in case. For example, for certain, stronger players the amount of time allotted before a hosing penalty was called was reduced by a second or so. In addition to this, any player who stepped out of his own accord was 'in the drink', without having to be forced out. Targeting that player resulted in a one territory penalty. Little alterations such as this made the game safer, and could be changed easily depending on the level of the player, or the confidence of the opponent.
As a huge fan of pro-bending, Shen listened to the games on the radio whenever he possibly could. Occasionally, he could camp near a residence for a while and listen to the game through their open window. This only fueled his longing to be around the game, and compete. As such, he found himself inevitably drawn to the arena, which is where he spent the vast majority of his time. He would stand outside and imagine what it must be like to compete on such a stage, in front of all of those people. In addition to this, he continued to develop his bending ability as best as he could, while at the same time keeping his body in shape for any possible future opportunity he may find. Although he did not find an opportunity to play the game, eventually he saw something of a 'help wanted' ad posted that one of the vendors in the arena had put up. This man named Fu needed someone to cover the stand when he could not, and being that he was an elderly gentleman, this happened rather frequently. The stand attempted to serve something of a fusion of delicacies from the Earth Kingdom, Water Tribe, and Fire Nation. This led to a gigantic breadth of possibilities, though the most popular sellers seemed to be more basic things such as komodo chicken and turkey duck. Although Shen was well-versed when it came to cooking from a Fire Nation perspective, Fu hired him only on his word that he would also represent the other nations equally. As such, he began working to prepare Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe delicacies with the same casual ability that he did those of the Fire Nation. His skill increased substantially, as he proved that he could do nigh anything he set his heart and mind to, and soon he was at the level his employer desired (although he continued to have trouble with Water Tribe grub, in particular, being that seafood creeps him out).
More important than his now rather diverse culinary ability, however, was the fact that nearly every day, Shen was able to get in and see pro-bending matches. Often, he covered the stand by himself, though occasionally he was asked to come in to serve merely as a helper, and prepare the food for his second culinary mentor. The position of the stand was fortunate, as Shen was able to get a good look at a majority of the arena with the exception of one corner that he had to crane his head to peek at. Although he was a good worker overall, he was reprimanded on more than one occasion for paying more attention to the game than to his food. This also often lead to accidents, as he cut and burned himself when he was trying to cook and a game-changing moment had happened. Over time, Shen became more and more familiar with those who frequented the stand and the public in general, and though he was still living without a home, he was able to earn some money and even often get something to eat from his employer. Things continued in this manner for a good three years, and for the first time since Shen left home, it felt like someone actually cared for him.
When Fu had asked him about his family, Shen had responded by telling the man that the culinary arts were in his blood. He described his mother, and told the older man that she had run her own establishment before giving it up. Never once did he mention anything about his father, the XPC, or his last name. Over time, Shen became less of an apprentice to the man and more of an almost son-like figure. Shen would visit him and his wife at their home, and they would discuss pro-bending's rising stars for hours at a time. Although not nearly as fanatical about the sport as Shen, Fu could not help but know a few things after having worked his stand in the arena for a number of years. Fu became to Shen the father he never had; he had made a name for himself by establishing his stand, and worked hard to earn every penny he had to his name. One night, as Shen and Fu were clearing the stand and cleaning what they could, getting ready to leave, Shen mentioned to the man that he wanted to be a pro-bender, and that he had come to Republic City with the hope of making a name for himself in that way. Rather than dismissing his dream, and telling the teen it was nonsense off the bat, Fu merely shrugged his shoulders, and told Shen that if that was the case, then he should pursue any opportunity he could, and stop working at a shabby stand such as his. The two laughed at this remark, but Shen could not appreciate his comment more. For once, someone had told him that he should go out and get what he desired, and hadn't told him to maintain some status quo or do what others expect of him. That night, in spite of being out in a storm, Shen felt safe, dry, and at home for the first time in years.
It was crushing, then, when just two years ago Shen learned that Fu had passed in his sleep that very night. Mourning the loss of the man he considered his father, his teacher, and his friend, Fu's wife let Shen know that her husband had left the stand to him, and that he could do with it as he wished. Shen decided that the very next time he was given the opportunity to go after his dream, he would. Until then, he would continue to work the stand, keeping its name as “Fu's Foods” in honor of his late father-figure. He began to spread his name around, talking to any pro-benders, trainers, or managers he could about his desire. Shen hoped that, through word of mouth, he may find a budding team that he could join, and finally be able to play professionally. This is the predicament that the young Shen is in currently, halfway through his twenties and hoping that he might catch a break and finally achieve his goal. He has seen the rise and fall of many very talented benders over the years; however, the rise that he fully believes is owed to him has yet to come.
Though he runs into his cousin Ai Fen at the arena somewhat often, being that it would be difficult for her to miss him, he has not reconnected with his family or the family business whatsoever. Shen has made it a point to tell Ai Fen that he doesn't have any desire to return, and that anything that happens with the XPC is none of his concern. Although he now runs his own stand, he is still living on the streets. He attempts to keep his state of living to himself; not even letting his friends or cousin know about it, because he doesn't want to rely on anyone's pity.
RP Sample: “Step right up, step right up!”
Shen gazed out at the crowd, attempting to keep his attention fixed on the people and not the love of his life, who was positioned in the very heart of the arena, constantly a source of distraction for him. He stirred somewhat rapidly, attempting to keep his five-flavored soup from burning as flames from the fire he'd lit bathed the bottom of the pot, maintaining a very hot temperature. He had no idea as to why someone would ever want five flavors to be present in one simple soup, but he had learned not to question what the consumer was willing to pay for. Nor what Water Tribe folk were willing to stomach. Wrinkling his nose at the scent, Shen directed his gaze up once more to the center of the arena, trying his best to make out exactly what each player was doing. The water-bender dodged a somewhat clumsily thrown rock disk, going in for the counter by sending a bullet of water right at the opposing earth-bender's head. The opposing fire-bender then sent a burst of flame forth, turning the water to steam before it could reach his teammate. It was two on one, the water-bender was all alone against two opponents, but may still be able to pull it out. She dodged under a burst of flame, then over a rock disk ricocheted off the side ropes before sending another blast of water at the fire-bender this time, who was hit in the head and stumbled back to zone two. The water-bender got a bit too cocky, and immediately received a hit in the lower-torso from a rock disk, sent rolling back, back, BACK...
That was around when Shen realized that he wasn't feeling the heat of the game, but rather an altogether very real heat that was spewing down the sides of his pot. Pulling his hand back and wiping boiling-hot five-flavor soup from it, he tried his best not to cry out and draw attention to his mistake, quickly sticking his hand in a tub of cool water he had prepared for just such an occasion. Relieved by the cool touch of the water, yet knowing there would be yet another burn, Shen grabbed the pot and poured some of the soup out into a large bowl for the customer. ”Five flavor soup, right here!” He exclaimed, smiling at the man and thanking him for his patronage. Looking over, he supposed the incident had cost him missing the very end of that knockout, as the fire and earth-benders were celebrating and the water-bender was pulling herself up out of the drink. It was unfortunate that the water-bender had been the last left on her team; while water was definitely incredibly versatile, and allowed for head shots, it was at the same time not as inherently intimidating as fire, or as powerful as earth. Shen had always found that, historically, having an earth or fire-bender as the last man standing was a better bet than a water-bender. The fire-bender could force the enemy back with only the heat of his flame; after all, it was a basic fact of life that fire typically inspires fear, regardless of how much padding one has on. Along with this, the earth-bender's disks were more likely to pack a punch than any flame or blast of water, simply because the former is a solid where the latter two are not.
Reflecting for a moment on his own situation, Shen pulled his hand out of the water, and observed what damage had been done. He'd taken off his glove for the sole purpose of being able to get a better read on the temperature of his soup, so it wouldn't boil over. Maybe if he'd been wearing one, that hot-pink blemish on his...well, already blemished hands wouldn't be there. Examining them, he found that each burn and each cut told a story, just as a rather cliché description might say, though the stories tended to be identical to one another. That cut, he'd received while chopping up some poultry before hearing a gasp from the crowd and looking up. He hadn't noticed for a second or so that he'd moved from chopping the poultry to chopping himself. That burn came from him catching a steaming hot slab of meat with his bare hands, forgetting that it was no longer raw. His mother had always told him to be aware of what he was doing, and never make careless mistakes. She'd said that their family line was full of absent-minded chefs who couldn't help but nick themselves up over time, and now Shen couldn't help but admit that this must be true. Shaking off his hand and replacing his glove, he went over to the pad on which he asked patrons to write suggestions, just to check its progress.
”Let's see...'Tigerdillos for life', 'Marry me Mako', 'Go to Narook's'...” He took a moment to rip that last message out of the pad before deciding that it wasn't going to do him any good reading random messages left by the typical citizen that frequented these games...who, by the way, appeared to be an idiot. He couldn't count the number of times he'd heard some girl going crazy over Tahno in the past week, and it infuriated him. It had gotten to the point where he considered not serving anyone who expressed support for the Captain of the Wolfbats, though he supposed that wouldn't be fair. Mentally crushing Tahno's head, before letting out a shout of encouragement for his favorites, the Ember Island Eel Hounds, Shen went about the task of cleaning out the pot he'd just used, so it would be available for another, slightly less heinous dish. Would he be working here until he was old, and unable to do anything but watch the young athletes down there compete? He hoped with all his might that his efforts would be worth it as he finished cleaning, drying his hands.
Sighing, he glanced up and saw that there was a new patron at his stand. Adopting a broad grin once more, he walked over to the man and started speaking once more.
”Step right up, step right up...”
