Assassination Extraordinaire
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Account Name: 栄 Gale
Profile Name: Zhang Cui Yu (张翠玉) Nickname: Cui Age: 17 Gender: Female Height: 153cm Weight: 47kg Guild: N/A Class: D Affiliation: Neutral
Appearance Physical Description: Not small enough to be called petite nor tall enough to be considered large, Cui strikes an almost remarkably average figure in a crowd, and it is a characteristic of hers that she in no way truly enjoys. If she were taller, it would be easier to push her cart. If she were shorter, she would've never embarked on this journey in the first place. But fate led to crossroads, and crossroads led into Fiore.
Cui's skin is porcelain, or, it was, until the beatings of sunlight day after day browned it slightly to something darker. Her hair is black, naturally streaked with dark brown, and is long enough to reach beyond her shoulders, though not long enough to tickle the small of her back. Usually worn in two buns, slacking slightly from an apparent laziness to continually check her hair, it is nonetheless surprisingly well-maintained for someone was well-traveled as Cui is - and truly, few are as road-worn as her. Her face is heart-shaped, or slightly rounder at her cheeks, and her eyes are a solid dark brown common to people of her ethnicity. Her fingernails are chipped from work, and calluses have long since grown on her hands and feet, for which she is extremely thankful. Naturally right-handed and rather slim, her body is that of one used to walking, and of one slightly used to walking with a load.
Clothing: Cui dresses for comfort rather than fashion, and few can blame her for choosing to do so with a life so nomadic. Her shoes vary from season to season and breakage to breakage, though it remains a constant that any shoes she wears are both seasonally appropriate, and comfortable to walk long distances in. Her clothing is loose-fitting and baggy, further concealing her slim figure, and little allowance was ever made, if any at all, for decorations on her clothing. A white, wide-sleeved shirt that remains airy and light, yet hardy and durable is commonly seen on her, coupled by a brown scarf threaded by a criss-crossed pattern in the middle when the weather calls for it, though it is no rare occasion for Cui to be seen wearing a wipe apron slightly oversized for her build, though she is insistent on not replacing it, as threadbare as it already is.
Her pants are of a similar concept, being baggy and easy on her body, airy and comfortable at the same time. Several large pockets are present at the sides, each of them roomy enough to carry a number of small objects, and during milder seasons Cui favors a pair that cuts off at her calves to keep her body cool.
Accessories: By and large Cui forgoes any accessories, appreciating their beauty and significance, if any, when appropriate, for she knows that accessories, especially costly ones, are easily stolen, and easily a hindrance when working. That said, she still keeps a single pendant, a small square of jade carved into the likeness of a mythical phoenix strung on a woven red thread, and wears it underneath her clothing on her neck. It was, after all, a gift from her parents, and the last one they would give.
Extra: Several scars, small and long-since healed, adorn Cui's hands and legs, some of which were brought on by scrapes on the road, most of which were brought on by unfortunate handling of a kitchen knife.
Picture:
Cui Yu
Personality Dedicated describes Cui, and hardworking finishes it. Fiercely independent and highly reluctant to turn to others for help unless they are dear to her, her background is that of a girl who had scraped by in the world, solitary and lonely for half a decade, and her mannerisms reflect it. She is a sweet girl, kind to others and caring even to the stranger, speaking with a voice that is naturally soft but almost shockingly loud and clear as she is wont when working. For kindness, of all qualities, is the one that goes the furthest on the road. Confident in her actions but not arrogant, Cui knows what she believes and defends herself when need be, though she is malleable enough to acknowledge how she may be in the wrong or at a misunderstanding when it truly is so. Caring, yet guarded, she affords others a certain degree of trust and faith at first glance, though it is little more than faith in their common sense. It has been a long time on the road for her, and the road has hardened her character. Not one to take a beating without defending herself, Cui nonetheless detests violence, and is as pacifistic as one can be until violence is the sole way out of the situation.
Cui is a fan of books, and is open to exploring different genres of the written word. She enjoys naps and detests laziness at the same time, only resting when she truly has the time to do so, while those who squander their precious time away accomplishing nothing are unmotivated imbeciles. She cooks, and oftentimes attempts to improve her skills at doing so considering her profession, but she cannot truly say whether or not she enjoys to do so. She does, however, enjoy seeing people eat her food, and cherishes the few times they openly compliment her creations, so she may as well enjoy cooking to a certain degree. Estranged from her family, she nonetheless treasures them and loves them, though she does not wish to see them. Distance, at this point, is the best course of action to preserve what filial bonds she has.
Outwardly bright, she respects people as a person but rarely as authority when they do not deserve that form of respect. When Cui smiles, it is often out of courtesy, and though it is nothing hostile it is apparent that it falls short of something genuine. Genuine happiness she saves for the few that deserve it from her, and she wishes quite often that true friends, of which she is sorely lacking in, become something of a constant in her life. Wishes may eternally be wishes, however, and Cui understands it fully. She is hardened, she is road-worn, she is alone and solitary, but she is not always lonely - though at times, at the darkest of nights and with the heaviest of hearts, she sincerely wishes that she had someone else.
History
History Cui was born in Caelum.
She was born two weeks earlier than expected, and as such her mother was rushed to the hospital in the dead of night. Stubborn even in birth, it took surgeons some time to cut her out of her mother's womb, but she was born nonetheless, safe and sound and happy and very noisy. She born to parents of Minstrellian origin, who's parents had migrated to Caelum long before.
She spent five years living in the capital of Caelum, and another five living in a city on the opposite end of the country, closer to the Caelum-Fioran strait. She lived the life of a child, carefree and careful at the same time, treading the oh-so-common line between curiosity and apathy; ignorance and intelligence. Cui was a happy child, proactive and quick to her feet, for since she was small she loved to move, and in a way, her nature as a child would shape her future. Cui's parents were businessmen, successful in their own right and having started a business from the ground up, and while she did not know the full extent of their success she still looked up to her parents for who they truly were - hardworking, honest people. They had started with nothing, and now they were living with more than enough.
Cui, as their child, was not pampered, but nor was she abused. She was treated like she was - a child - and was subject both to exemptions from the household rules, and punished for breaking them. From early on she was taught the value of money, and at the dinner table she started learning the secrets of her parents trade, for her mother and father worked together. Four years after being born, her parents gave birth to a son, and as the elder sister she watched over him while bullying him as sisters were wont. The two were inseparable at the start, and while they did not end on unfavorable terms, they stopped being so close after Cui turned ten, and her brother, six.
It was then the first signs were seen, though she had not known it yet. Classically schooled as per the Caelum norm, Cui had come home one day to see her mother's favorite vase, and in it her beloved flowers, shattered on the ground. She did not know who had broken it, nor did she know who would - but when Cui's mother came home and saw her child picking up the pieces of her treasured vase, an heirloom from her own mother, she struck her child out of anger, refusing to believe that Cui had not broken it. For the proof was there - Cui had gotten home first, and had been cleaning up her own mess. Commendable, but not completely forgivable.
Two days later her mother started sleeping in a different room, the guest room they had prepared for visitors. A month later Cui came back to her mother and father arguing with hushed tones, and her entrance quieted both immediately. Three months after that and they were arguing on a daily basis, with insults and accusations that Cui hardly recognized being thrown around with little regard to whether or not Cui or her brother, Song, were present.
The anger simmered for a while, boiling over at times but never truly erupting once more, and for another year the Zhang family was at peace, or, the most peace they could muster. Anger was still present, visibly so, and by now Cui had started getting a grasp on the situation. Simply put, her mother and father were at a disagreement.
But she trusted them. Her parents had not always trusted Cui, but Cui trusted her parents. They were hard-working individuals who had struggled against a lifetime of difficulty, from poverty to starvation to war, and they were intelligent, well-learned people despite those difficulties. Cui trusted her parents to do the right thing, to chose the right path, and to eventually reconcile their differences. A disagreement was not something to be drawn out in her mind, for whatever arguments Cui had ever gotten into were usually resolved in a day.
When she was 11, turning 12, Cui's parents filed for divorce. When she was 12, they separated, having never reconciled their differences, with accusations of adultery and unfair treatment in the company and favoritism running rampant between her parents. They each filed for custody of their children, and neither won. Cui went with her mother, and Song, with their father.
That was the last time Cui ever saw both of them.
What followed the divorce was a turbulent period of time for the young girl. Her mother had divorced her father, and with the divorce their shared assets were split asunder, ownership of their company being no different. So while Cui was not poor, and while her mother was not struggling to make ends meet, neither were happy. The divorce only served to heighten her mother's anxiety, and soon she found herself being subject to the mood swings of a grown woman, peppered with insults and blame towards her father - though despite all of this, Cui'd mother had never mistreated her. Instead, her mother bottled it up in fear of hurting her only daughter, and by doing so started destroying her own mind. Before Cui turned 13, her mother was on medications, and it only ever got worse.
So the girl left. Announcing to her mother that she was going to visit her father and brother for the first time in a year, the little girl, not yet 13, left her house with a backpack and enough non-perishable food to last her a few weeks. She never made it to her father's house, two cities away, and left a note to her mother explaining what she had done, and why, and that she loved her mother now just as much as she had loved her ten years ago. That she loved both her father and her brother, and for her mother to find it in her to visit her brother from time to time. She explained that she had left to see the world for herself, to carve out her own path and eek out her own life, and that by leaving she believed her mother would be free to let loose her feelings. She ended the note saying that she loved her mother, and that she thought it would be best for her mother to take the time to gather herself and live for herself. Maybe even find someone new in her life.
Exceedingly mature for a 12-year old out of necessity, Cui quickly found herself work cleaning dishes and being paid under-the-table. Soon, she tired of such work and the mistreatment she was receiving, and so saved up enough money for a mobile food truck that she bought. The first time she opened shop was a disaster, and she almost had her possessions robber from her, though a friendly nomadic mage saved her and took her under his wing for a single year.
It was through him that she learnt magic, utilizing the latent potential she had always had, and it was there that she learnt how to survive by herself. Pushing the cart was difficult for her, that was certain - but it was not impossible. And if it was not impossible, she could do it.
So she set out, travelling to the border of Caelum and taking a ferry to the distant shores of Midi, making her way around the coastline of Minstrel into Diesertio, which she scarcely enjoyed, through Joya, into Stella, around Bosco through Iceberg, into Seven, and now, Fiore.
Cui knows not where she means to go after Fiore. It is a remote yet centralized country, brimming with multiculturalism and magic and people appreciative of a damn good fried chicken. Water routes open Fiore up to the world at large, and Caelum is right next door by ferry.
But she stops herself every time she journeys to a port city in Fiore. She looks to the horizon and sees nothing but water, but knows that Caelum is in the distance. She knows that her family is there, somewhere, and that she could visit them, possibly, if she wanted to.
But she doesn't. Cui simply sets up shop, works for the day, and closes it down at night. She knows she can, but chooses not too. It's fear, it's love, and it's indecisiveness at the same time - and for now, Cui needs more time.
Weaponry/Equipment
D Class Name: Kitchen Knife Class: D Description: A regular kitchen knife, made of stainless steel and sharp on a single curved edge. A worn wooden handle large enough to hold comfortably but not too large to wield extends from the blade. It is an old, used, but well-maintained piece. 15cm long, not counting the handle. Effect/Function: Slicing ingredients.
Name: Knife Sharpener Class: D Description: A knife sharpener made of metal, with a wooden handle. Recently bought as a replacement. 20cm long, not counting the handle. Effect/Function: Sharpens knives.
Stats - 106 Power: 18 Endurance: 17 Toughness: 17 Speed: 17 Accuracy: 17 Magic: 20
Earned Stat Points Earned: 0/61 Arc Points Earned: 0/0 Jewels Earned: 25,669,000/25,669,000
Sources
Sources
Skills & Disciplines
- Fire, Iron, Oil: A self-made master chef, though she uses the term rarely and believes it even less, Cui is nevertheless a highly accomplished cook, having started in the field at 12 and spent the five years after that travelling around with little more than a food cart that she pushes. Adept in many types of cooking and, to a certain degree, baking and deserts, her true calling lays in simple, easy foods to eat in a short time that still fill the stomach, and as such she has started experimenting with deep-fried foods. Her signature dish, a wide variety of deep-fried chicken with different seasonings, has recently been termed "Kunigi Fried Chicken" and has gained something of a following, though she is in Kunigi only part of her time now.
- The Road Less Traveled: An experienced traveler, Cui has found herself to be quite adept at judging people from a first glance, for any traveler needs to know who to approach and who to flee from. Similarly, Cui is quite well-versed in surviving by herself in the grand outside, knowing how to tent and cook and forage and hunt just as well as anyone else in the profession. An excellent cartographer, with a range of hand-drawn maps collected in a book she keeps with her in her cart, Cui is almost frighteningly skilled, or perhaps just lucky, in choosing the "right" path.
Magic Magic Name: Chicken Whisperer (笨鸟先飞) Magic Type: Swarm Summoning Tier of Magic: Tier 1 Rank: Rank 3 Magic Description: A rather curious magic, for it has little use in combat and even less use outside of combat, Cui has stood by it despite it's seemingly glaring flaws, and uses it in ways only she could feasibly accomplish. A magic taught to her by a mage she met for a year of her life, it is a magic that allows her to call upon different beings and summon them to her side by magic. Though viewed as cruel by some and ridiculous by many, it is nonetheless something that Cui finds to be both dependable and effective for it's purpose, seeing as the sparse, unusual abilities granted through this magic are beneficial to few people and to Cui especially.
Chickens. She summons flocks of chickens. As decreed by the Lord of all Feathered, Comet in the Night Sky, Birthed from Ashes, the decree of the Phoenix submits the summoned chickens of Earthland to Cui's will, the birds both noble and selfless for their Lord of Cinders.
Techniques: 12/14 (9+5 Bought) Caelum Sky-Chicken - 3 Type: Swarm Summon Range: Self Effect: Cui calls upon a flock of 15 Caelum Sky-Chickens, summoning them to her side. Duration: 4 Posts Cooldown: 2 Posts
Caelum Sky-Chicken Name: Caelum Sky-Chickens
Physical Description A flock of fifteen chickens, each large as a fully-grown hen with white feathers streaked with blue. A bit meatier than most chickens, their flesh carrying a heavier taste than normal. Loyal to their flock and fiercely protective of one another, whatever vestiges of self-worth and flock survival are near-instantly thrown aside in a unhesitating display of altruism via self-immolation when desired.
Weaponry
Name: Body Class: D Description: The body of a chicken.
Stats - 94 Power: 15 (1) Endurance: 15 (1) Toughness: 15 Speed: 15 Accuracy: 14 Magic: 20
Magic Name: Rip'N Chick'N Magic Type: Culinary Rank: 3 Magic Description: The Chickens fry themselves to death out of a blind, unquestionable willingness for Cui, and are thus consumable. The finished products are of optimal serving temperature upon completion, completely plucked and skinned if need be, and even partitioned into individual pieces when they are cooked. It is of little doubt that whatever chicken processed through these means are delicious - for the best spice is self-sacrifice. Techniques: 6/6
Spicy - 3 Type: Suicidal Range: Self Effect: On command, the chickens, up to a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 6 at a time, cluck twice and fry themselves with a magical oil, emerging as perfectly-seasoned and fried spicy chicken. 3 Post Cooldown
Mild - 3 Type: Suicidal Range: Self Effect: On command, the chickens, up to a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 6 at a time, cluck twice and fry themselves with a magical oil, emerging as perfectly-seasoned and fried mild chicken. 3 Post Cooldown
Fioran Brown Chicken - 3 Type: Swarm Summon Range: Self Effect: Cui calls upon a flock of 15 Fioran Brown Chickens, summoning them to her side. Duration: 4 Posts Cooldown: 2 Posts
Fioran Brown Chickens Name: Fioran Brown Chickens
Physical Description A flock of fifteen chickens, each large as a fully-grown hen with brown feathers overlaying white ones. A bit slimmer than most chickens, they have a noticeably lighter taste that is much easier on the tongue and for anyone suffering from indigestion. Their flesh is not as juicy as other chickens, though neither is it dry, making it quite suitable for those with upset stomachs to consume. Mild-natured, these chickens rarely attack anyone unless they pose an obvious threat to their existence, Cui notwithstanding.
Weaponry
Name: Body Class: D Description: The body of a chicken.
Stats - 94 Power: 15 (1) Endurance: 15 (1) Toughness: 15 Speed: 15 Accuracy: 14 Magic: 20
Magic Name: Karaage Chicken Magic Type: Culinary Rank: 3 Magic Description: The Chickens fry themselves to death out of a blind, unquestionable willingness for Cui, and are thus consumable. The finished products are of optimal serving temperature upon completion, completely plucked and skinned if need be, and even partitioned into individual pieces when they are cooked. It is of little doubt that whatever chicken processed through these means are delicious - for the best spice is self-sacrifice. Techniques: 6/6
Sweet N' Soy - 3 Type: Suicidal Range: Self Effect: On command, the chickens, up to a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 6 at a time, cluck twice and fry themselves with a magical oil, emerging as perfectly-seasoned and fried chicken flavored mainly with soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic. 3 Post Cooldown
Garlic N' Pepper - 3 Type: Suicidal Range: Self Effect: On command, the chickens, up to a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 6 at a time, cluck twice and fry themselves with a magical oil, emerging as perfectly-seasoned and fried garlic pepper chicken. 3 Post Cooldown
Iceberg Arctic Chicken - 3 Type: Swarm Summon Range: Self Effect: Cui calls upon a flock of 15 Iceberg Arctic Chickens, summoning them to her side. Duration: 4 Posts Cooldown: 2 Posts
Iceberg Arctic Chickens Name: Iceberg Arctic Chickens
Physical Description A flock of fifteen chickens, each large as a fully-grown hen with snow-white feathers. Their flesh has a pleasantly cool and almost minty taste. An oddity among chickens as the taste can almost be described to be as refreshing as it is savory, whomever consumes these chickens benefit additionally from their breath smelling like fresh peppermint for a good while - albeit with tones of chicken behind it. Pleasing cool to the touch when alive, their flesh is nonetheless best served warm after being thoroughly cooked.
Weaponry
Name: Body Class: D Description: The body of a chicken.
Stats - 94 Power: 15 (1) Endurance: 15 (1) Toughness: 15 Speed: 15 Accuracy: 14 Magic: 20
Magic Name: General Tso's Chicken Magic Type: Culinary Rank: 3 Magic Description: The Chickens fry themselves to death out of a blind, unquestionable willingness for Cui, and are thus consumable. The finished products are of optimal serving temperature upon completion, completely plucked and skinned if need be, and even partitioned into individual pieces when they are cooked. It is of little doubt that whatever chicken processed through these means are delicious - for the best spice is self-sacrifice. Techniques: 6/6
Simple and Classic - 3 Type: Suicidal Range: Self Effect: On command, the chickens, up to a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 6 at a time, cluck twice and fry themselves with a magical oil, emerging as perfectly-seasoned and fried chicken moderately seasons with salt and very easy on the palette. 3 Post Cooldown
Hot and Heavy - 3 Type: Suicidal Range: Self Effect: On command, the chickens, up to a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 6 at a time, cluck twice and fry themselves with a magical oil, emerging as perfectly-seasoned and fried, heavily-seasoned chicken. 3 Post Cooldown
Diesertio Sand-Chicken - 3 Type: Swarm Summon Range: Self Effect: Cui calls upon a flock of 15 Diesertio Sand-Chickens, summoning them to her side. Duration: 4 Posts Cooldown: 2 Posts
Diesertio Sand-Chickens Name: Diesertio Sand-Chickens
Physical Description A flock of fifteen chickens, each large as a fully-grown hen with light brown feathers streaked with black and grey. Their meat is juicier than most other chickens, owing to their unique habitat and diet forcing them to evolve to better their capabilities at retaining fluids in the scorching Diesertio plains. As such, each bite of their flesh is said to be quite literally bursting with flavor, and it is no rare event to see one happily making a mess of themselves when biting into these chickens.
Weaponry
Name: Body Class: D Description: The body of a chicken.
Stats - 94 Power: 15 (1) Endurance: 15 (1) Toughness: 15 Speed: 15 Accuracy: 14 Magic: 20
Magic Name: Shake N' Bake Magic Type: Culinary Rank: 3 Magic Description: The Chickens fry themselves to death out of a blind, unquestionable willingness for Cui, and are thus consumable. The finished products are of optimal serving temperature upon completion, completely plucked and skinned if need be, and even partitioned into individual pieces when they are cooked. It is of little doubt that whatever chicken processed through these means are delicious - for the best spice is self-sacrifice. Techniques: 6/6
Secret Spices - 3 Type: Suicidal Range: Self Effect: On command, the chickens, up to a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 6 at a time, cluck twice and bake themselves with a magical oil, emerging as perfectly-seasoned and baked chicken seasoned with a secret blend of 13 spices. 3 Post Cooldown
Herbal Assortment - 3 Type: Suicidal Range: Self Effect: On command, the chickens, up to a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 6 at a time, cluck twice and bake themselves with a magical oil, emerging as perfectly-seasoned and baked chicken seasoned with a variety of fresh herbs. 3 Post Cooldown.
Edited by Gale, Jul 12 2016, 03:34 AM.
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