Who are you?

PERSONALITY TRAITS:
cynical, grumpy, stubborn, blunt, caring, perceptive, protective, reliable

PERSONALITY:

Wenhao has a very cynical view of the world, especially after the death of Avatar Misho during the March to Omashu. This war-torn world they live in is not kind and the Fire Nation has proven on countless occasions that it cares for nothing but world domination, even if that comes at the cost of the lives of everyone else from the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes. After all, the Air Nomads and the Avatar have already paid the price for that vicious greed. Even people in the Earth Kingdom have shown that they can be just as selfish as those from the Fire Nation, especially the criminals and nobility living in the Lower Ring and the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se, respectively. These people only care about themselves and seem to be actively working against the greater good with their self-centered actions. In Wenhao's experience, genuinely good people are far and few between, and the longer the war drags on, the less faith he has in peace ever being restored in the world. As such, Wenhao is a grumpy person and often wears a scowl on his face whenever he is around others, especially those he does not know well. He has little patience for people who waste his time and can get very snappy with others due to his short fuse.

Staunch in his convictions and his opinions, Wenhao can be quite stubborn at times and stands his ground without budging a single inch. He knows that giving even the tininest inch will eventually lead to others taking a gigantic mile, which makes it easy for unscrupulous people to exploit those who are much more naive and unsuspecting. Wenhao refuses to let others take advantage of him and he remains unyielding to the end, strong and firm like the element he bends. One would have to make an extremely compelling argument for him to even consider changing his mind on whatever is being discussed. Wenhao is also blunt with his words and sees no point in sugarcoating things to make others feel better. He even sometimes engages in sarcastic mocking, especially when he is in disbelief over how oblivious some people are. He does not care if he comes off as rude to strangers, since their judgment matters little to him. His family and animal friends are there for him and know that he is a good person, and those are the only opinions that actually matter to Wenhao.

Although this may surprise most, past the hard exterior lies a caring heart within Wenhao. As much as he likes to gripe and groan about how the world is doomed with Avatar Misho out of the picture and the Fire Nation stronger than ever, Wenhao does want the best for those he cares about. Even though the war will likely not end in his lifetime, seeing as how it has lasted for almost a century now, Wenhao does whatever he can to make sure the creatures and people in his life are safe and content. As long as they are happy and protected, that is enough for him to feel like he has made a worthwhile contribution to the world. Wenhao is also quite perceptive and is able to notice even the most subtle changes in his surroundings, especially when he is out in the wilderness as that has basically become his second home. If an animal is acting strangely or a family member is unwell, Wenhao is able to pick up on these behavioral anomalies fairly quickly. Depending on who or what he is dealing with, Wenhao will do everything in his power to alleviate their uneasiness or pain and provide as much comfort as he can.

Consequently, Wenhao is incredibly protective of the ones who are important to him, including his family members and all kinds of animals, no matter which nation they originate from. He will not hesitate to jump in and save an animal that is injured or in danger, even if that may put him in danger as well. Whenever animals are involved, he temporarily loses his sense of self-preservation, because it is more important for him to rescue these innocent creatures who have already suffered enough during the war. Wenhao sees animals as one of the only good parts about the world right now and he will do whatever he can to shield them from the selfishness of humanity. Wenhao is quite reliable and responsible as well, especially as the first-born son of his family. He always puts forth all of his effort into anything he tries his hand at and helps out the people he cares about to the best of his abilities. If a person is on Wenhao's good side, of which there are few, they will have a extremely dependable ally who will go above and beyond whenever they need assistance with anything.

BACKGROUND:

Weichen was a young Earth Kingdom soldier who lived in Omashu and reported to King Bumi. He was often placed as one of King Bumi's bodyguards whenever the king visited Ba Sing Se on official business. On one such trip, the 51st Earth King invited King Bumi to watch a play performed by several students from the Royal Theater School. The lead actress was a young woman named Muyi, who was known for her talent and beauty. Although he was not particularly inclined towards the arts, Weichen could not help but watch Muyi in awe the entire evening. After the play, the acting troupe was invited to the Royal Palace for a private banquet being hosted in King Bumi's honor. As one of King Bumi's bodyguards, Weichen was also allowed to attend the banquet, so he approached Muyi and the two conversed with each other until the end of the party. Before they parted, they promised to write letters and keep in touch, since they both felt a spark beginning to form between them. Weichen also promised to visit Ba Sing Se again to see her future performances whenever he could. And he kept his word, always sitting in the front row to watch Muyi effortlessly captivate the audience. After two years of this long-distance relationship, Muyi graduated from the Royal Theater School and left Ba Sing Se for Omashu to marry Weichen. Over the next four years, Muyi gave birth to two boys, who they named Wenhao and Kaiwen, and the family of four lived together peacefully in Omashu. With Avatar Misho and King Bumi protecting them as some of the most powerful earthbenders in the world, they knew that they had nothing to fear.

However, everything changed because of the March to Omashu. During the battle, Weichen was stationed near the gates, and he did everything in his power to defend his city and keep his precious family safe from the Fire Nation's invading forces. Thanks to Avatar Misho fighting off the bulk of the Fire Nation army, Omashu's troops were able to emerge victorious at the end of the long battle. Before going back home, Weichen volunteered to join the small rescue squad that was being organized in order to find any survivors from the Earth Kingdom army. The group then set off, hearts heavy since many of their comrades were unaccounted for and it was unrealistic to hope that they were all still alive. However, none of them had been prepared to find the burned remains of Avatar Misho at the frontlines, and Weichen was forced to face the ugly truth that the world's best chance at defeating the Fire Nation and ending the war had disintegrated in front of his eyes. When he finally returned home after the rescue squad finished saving some luckier individuals and reported their findings to King Bumi, there was a hollowness in Weichen's eyes as he embraced his wife and sons. Wenhao asked what was wrong, having never seen his father's expression look so cold and detached before. Deciding that there was no point in hiding what had happened, because Avatar Misho's death would soon be public knowledge anyway, Weichen recounted how the battle had gone and explained how he had found Avatar Misho's dead body at the end. This cast a dark cloud over the family, save for Kaiwen who was too young to understand the gravity of the situation. Weichen had already been training Wenhao as an earthbender, since the older child had discovered his abilities at the age of seven. However, Weichen greatly intensified Wenhao's training regimen after this traumatic event, wanting to make sure his son had a fighting chance at surviving if he ever found himself in battle against the Fire Nation.

Although he was only a child, Wenhao recognized the severity of the loss of Avatar Misho and had his first real taste of despair. Whenever he was at the training grounds with his father, Wenhao saw how tired and despondent the other soldiers were, all of them visibly physically and psychologically scarred from the fierce battle and Avatar Misho's gruesome death. And whenever there was news of the Fire Nation's troops swallowing more and more of the Earth Kingdom's territory, Wenhao knew that things were only going to get worse for the other nations without the Avatar's protection. Day after day, the situation only grew bleaker and bleaker, and Wenhao braced himself for the likely possibility of the Fire Nation capturing Omashu as well. So even though the rigorous training left his body feeling battered and bruised at the end of each session, Wenhao gritted his teeth and pushed forward, knowing that this was for his own good, for his survival if it ever came down to it.

When he wasn't training under his father, Wenhao spent most of his free time finding little critters to take home and play with. He had always been interested in fauna and whenever he was around animals, Wenhao could forget about the war that was waging beyond the walls of Omashu and his heart felt at ease with these wonderful creatures in his company. He loved playing with his neighbors' pets and following any strays around the city, trying to coax them over to him so that he could interact with them up-close. Even the bigger, more aggressive animals did not scare him like they scared the other children, and Wenhao saw it as a challenge to calm down these larger creatures and befriend them. As he grew older, he found himself spending more time outdoors and playing with animals rather than training under his father. Once he turned sixteen, he decided that he no longer wanted to continue honing his combative earthbending skills, especially since he had no intention of becoming a soldier and joining the Earth Kingdom army. Weichen agreed to conclude the training on the condition that Wenhao stayed close to home, because Weichen knew how much his son wanted to observe all types of wildlife in their natural habitats. With that agreement in place, Wenhao spent all of his newfound free time exploring the wilderness just outside the walls of the heavily fortified city. The untouched wild was like a whole new world for him to explore, with so much more fauna for him to discover, and Wenhao treated it as his secret paradise. The animals there became his friends and he did his best to safeguard their shared sanctuary. Wenhao also constantly wished for the world to be peaceful enough for him to explore other habitats outside of this patch of wilderness next to Omashu one day.

Wanting to gain more comprehensive knowledge on all fauna, including those native to the Fire Nation and the Water Tribes, Wenhao applied to study zoology at Ba Sing Se University once he turned eighteen. He was readily accepted and then moved to the Middle Ring of Ba Sing Se to live with his mother's younger sister and her family while he attended school. Wenhao hadn't seen his aunt, his uncle, and his cousin since the year before the March to Omashu, due to his family stopping their yearly trips to Ba Sing Se after Avatar Misho's death. It was safer to stay within the heavily guarded walls of Omashu now that the Earth Kingdom no longer had the Avatar to protect them from the Fire Nation's ever-growing military force. When Wenhao arrived in Ba Sing Se, his aunt and uncle, Soyoon and Minsoo, marveled over how much he had grown over the past ten years. Likewise, his cousin, Lina, was now an outspoken adolescent, a stark difference from the tiny toddler he had last seen a decade ago.

As Wenhao adjusted to his new life in Ba Sing Se, he noticed that the citizens there seemed to be unconcerned with the war that was happening outside the walls. They all acted as if nothing were wrong, as if the loss of Avatar Misho hadn't greatly crippled the Earth Kingdom's resistance against the Fire Nation. He once tried asking Minsoo why people were so unbothered by the Fire Nation's growing forces and constant attacks on the other nations, but Minsoo did not fully understand what Wenhao was referring to. Thus, the conversation ultimately went nowhere and Wenhao was left with more questions than before. Deciding that there was no point in pursuing this train of thought, since it was unlikely that the war would end in his lifetime anyway, Wenhao focused on his studies and absorbed as much information about zoology as he could. Because he could not go past the walls of Ba Sing Se as freely as he had while living in Omashu, Wenhao ended up spending most of his free time helping Minsoo and Soyoon tend to the patients of their medical clinic or running errands for them with Lina. He also cared for various strays living in the Middle Ring and gave advice to any of his neighbors who owned pets. Kaiwen then moved to the Middle Ring during Wenhao's last year of school, since he started attending Ba Sing Se University as well. And a year later, upon completing his university education, Wenhao bid goodbye to Kaiwen and his relatives in Ba Sing Se before moving back to Omashu. Life there hadn't changed much, although Wenhao could see how much more exhausted his father was from coordinating Omashu's troops against the Fire Nation in various skirmishes outside of the city. It was heartbreaking to see how the lines in Weichen's face had deepened in just a few years, but his father never complained about the situation. Weichen only mentioned how grateful he was to have his older son back home, especially since he and Muyi had greatly missed their children while both were absent for a year.

Now that he lives in Omashu again, Wenhao has resumed his wilderness expeditions outside of the city. He quietly observes the local wildlife and interacts with any creatures that feel comfortable enough to approach him. He also rescues any injured animals that he finds and brings them home with him to nurse them back to health. Weichen and Muyi have expressed on multiple occasions that they prefer their older son to stay within the city, because it is much safer. But they also know that he is capable of taking care of himself, especially after his extensive earthbending training under Weichen, so they do not force him to stay at home. They only ask that he keep his expeditions to day trips so that he is back in Omashu before nightfall. Thankful for his parents' understanding, Wenhao does extra chores around the house, and runs errands around the city for Muyi in the mornings and the evenings before and after his outings. However, every time he is back in the wilderness with the animals, Wenhao sees how many species have been affected by the constant warfare between the nations and he curses the Fire Nation for disrupting their peace with their violent, greedy ways. Although he knows that he cannot do much as only one civilian against the most powerful military currently in existence, Wenhao refuses to let any more innocent animals become collateral damage during this war.

TRIVIA:

☯ He has a notebook filled with all of his field research and detailed notes on all of the fauna he's studied over the years. The notebook is sectioned by nation and then by animal type. Pencil sketches also supplement the paragraphs he has written about each creature.
☯ When he is at home, he practices calligraphy and rewrites key discoveries from his research onto scrolls that he hangs in his room.
☯ He is relatively well-versed in flora, mostly in the context of animal diets and medicinal herbs. This knowledge, while not necessarily that interesting to him, has proved its usefulness on several occasions, especially when he encounters injured or poisoned creatures.
☯ He can perfectly imitate most creature calls, so his mother has him participate in the annual Omashu theater production as the person in charge of sound effects, which he grudgingly agrees to each year.
☯ He sings lullabies or plays soothing music with his bamboo flute to any young animals nearby or in his care, like Koda the baby badgermole, to help them fall asleep. While he does not mind if people nearby happen to hear him sing Koda to sleep, he refuses to sing specifically for a human audience.
☯ In order to maximize his time spent outdoors, he regularly wakes up at dawn and goes to bed at midnight to do chores or run errands. Luckily, he is able to regularly function on this sparse amount of sleep without any problems and people are often surprised to hear that he actually hasn't gotten a full night of rest.
☯ He hates spicy food and will always eat mild alternatives instead, even if people ridicule him for having bland taste buds.
☯ Due to going in and out of Omashu so often for his wilderness expeditions, he is well-acquainted with all of the guards stationed at the gates.
☯ He is quite sensitive to death and it always breaks his heart whenever an animal dies from its injuries or he hears about soldiers who have passed away during the war. Burying the dead never gets easier and he is a bit more short-tempered than usual when processing his grief.
☯ He dreams of encountering a dragon and an air bison one day, even though he knows the possibility of either is next to nothing, thanks to the Fire Nation causing both species to go extinct.

RELATIONSHIPS:

☯ Father - Weichen (47) / Captain of the Earth Kingdom Army / stoic, strict, responsible, firm / 7/10 / face claim - Sun Honglei

Wenhao holds a great amount of respect for his father, especially knowing what Weichen has undergone as an Earth Kingdom soldier. War hardens people, changes them forever. And Weichen is no exception to that, having sent hundreds of men into battle over the years and having fought against scores of Fire Nation soldiers himself. Weichen has never sugarcoated the realities of war for his older son, so Wenhao is fully aware of how awful and dangerous the world is at the moment. The two males spent hours every day with each other when Wenhao was younger, training tirelessly under his father's strict tutelage. Weichen is fully aware of how much potential Wenhao has to be an amazing earthbender and the soldier side of him wishes that his son had joined the Earth Kingdom army, since he knows their forces could use every bit of help available. But the fatherly side of him is relieved to know that Wenhao will be spared from the atrocities of war, because Weichen's biggest nightmare is finding his son's body burned to shreds like Avatar Misho's had.

Although Wenhao no longer practices combative earthbending, he does spar with Weichen once a month at his father's request. Weichen reasons that if Wenhao is leaving the safety of Omashu's walls almost every day for hours at a time, his son needs to be capable of defending himself in preparation for the worst possible scenario. Wenhao has never beaten Weichen in a sparring match, nor does he ever expect to, considering how long it's been since he last trained. But he does appreciate these short earthbending matches, even if he doesn't really care for the actual sparring itself, because he does not get to see his father very often nowadays. The Fire Nation has been encroaching on Earth Kingdom territory more and more, so Weichen is often away from Omashu to lead their troops.

☯ Mother - Muyi (45) / Playwright / imaginative, observant, faithful, clever / 7/10 / face claim - Ha Ji Won

Having retired from acting, Muyi spends most of her time writing plays for students attending her alma mater, the Royal Theater School in Ba Sing Se, and taking care of the house with Wenhao's help. Wenhao has a soft spot for his mother and his grumpiness is less prevalent around her, since she is a reminder that there is pure good in this devastating war-torn world. Even though she was also greatly disheartened by Avatar Misho's death, Muyi knew that the burdens resting on her husband and older son's shoulders were already heavy enough for them to bear without her adding to them. So she does her best to emotionally support them so that neither gets completely taken over by their pessimism.

With Weichen regularly away from home because of the war and Kaiwen currently living in Ba Sing Se, Muyi and Wenhao spend much more time together now than they had when he was a child. He makes sure to carve time out of his day for Muyi so she does not feel lonely by herself, especially since she is getting older now. Some days, they run errands together before Wenhao sets off on his wilderness expeditions and shopkeepers always mention how lucky Muyi is to have such a filial son. And as much as Wenhao hates performing in front of a human audience, he will indulge his mother and help act out any scenes she is working on so that she can adjust her scripts accordingly. In turn, Muyi assisted Wenhao in building an extra room in their home for any injured animals to live in while they recuperate. Muyi also loves learning about new creatures from her son and gets quite attached to the critters as well.

☯ Younger Brother - Kaiwen (19) / Student at Ba Sing Se University / cheerful, eager, oblivious, playful / 8/10 / face claim - Chen Linong [Nine Percent]

Wenhao is quite protective of Kaiwen, knowing how trusting his little brother can be, in spite of the war-stricken world they live in. Because Kaiwen was so young when Avatar Misho died, he never knew how close Omashu had been to falling to the Fire Nation during the March to Omashu and he was not affected by the cloud of despair that hung over the family when Weichen announced that he had found Avatar Misho's charred remains. It wasn't until Kaiwen was much older when Weichen briefly shared with him what had happened in the past. Out of curiosity, Kaiwen asks his older brother about the situation from time to time. Wenhao does not hide the realities of the war whenever these questions do come up, but he also does not go out of his way to inundate his little brother with every gritty detail, because he believes that isn't conducive.

Ever since they were children, Kaiwen has greatly admired his dependable older brother and always tries to engage him in fun activities like playing ball or exploring the nooks and crannies of Omashu's infamous mail delivery system. Kaiwen also regularly begs Wenhao to let him accompany his older brother on his wilderness treks outside of the city. Wenhao typically tries to discourage Kaiwen from coming, since his younger brother is a non-bender and does not have the same skills to defend himself if they ever happen to come across any Fire Nation soldiers. But he also knows that he cannot coddle his younger brother forever and that Kaiwen deserves to explore what lies beyond the gates of Omashu, so Wenhao does agree to let Kaiwen go with him on rare occasions.

☯ Uncle - Minsoo (43) / Herbalist / wise, gentle, warm, humble / 6/10 / face claim - Gong Yoo

Minsoo taught Wenhao all about various herbs and shared his vast wealth of books on plants with his nephew, since Wenhao was interested in seeing how he could utilize this knowledge on animals. The two of them worked together to create several ointments and salves that were made specifically for various species living in Ba Sing Se, and Minsoo let Wenhao share a patch of his garden to grow his own personal herbs. In the evenings after Minsoo was done seeing patients and Wenhao had finished studying, they played a few games of Pai Sho while discussing random topics. During these conversations, Minsoo gladly imparted as much knowledge as he could to his young nephew.

However, despite how knowledgeable he was, especially about everything related to medicine and generally anything within Ba Sing Se, Minsoo knew nothing about the war that was waging beyond the Earth Kingdom capital city. He was completely unaware of how many lives had been lost to the Fire Nation's forces and how close the Fire Nation was to toppling the Earth Kingdom. In fact, when Wenhao casually brought up Avatar Misho's death one day, Minsoo only mentioned how regretful it was that she had suddenly passed away from a mysterious illness at such a young age, especially since Minsoo believed that she could have been saved if she had come to Ba Sing Se for treatment. Wenhao had been tempted to correct his uncle, but ultimately decided against it because he had no desire to relive the grim day of his father's return from the March to Omashu.

☯ Aunt - Soyoon (42) / Nurse / empathetic, thoughtful, calm, organized / 6/10 / face claim - Gong Hyo Jin

While Wenhao was living in Ba Sing Se, Soyoon doted on Wenhao like he was her actual son and did her best to make him feel at home. Whenever she had time, she took him around Ba Sing Se, showing him her and Muyi's favorite places from their childhood. Soyoon also taught him quite a bit about general medicine, supplementing her husband's lessons on herbal medicine. And since she and Minsoo were often busy caring for patients in their clinic, Soyoon put Wenhao in charge of delivering medicine around Ba Sing Se, thus allowing her nephew to become even more familiar with the city.

Surprisingly, Soyoon also knew nothing about the war, which was incredibly puzzling to Wenhao. He thought his mother would have kept his aunt updated on what was happening in Omashu, but there seemed to be no correspondence mentioning the war at all. Assuming that Muyi wanted to spare her sister the emotional distress brought on by the war, Wenhao decided not to broach the issue either, especially after his failed attempts at discussing the war with Minsoo. And since it wasn't a particularly pleasant topic for him to visit anyway, Wenhao just focused on helping her out in the clinic whenever he could and doing small chores around the house during his study breaks.

☯ Cousin - Lina (18) / Student at Ba Sing Se University / sassy, ambitious, opinionated, meticulous / 6/10 / face claim - Jung Yein [Lovelyz]

Wenhao spent many evenings being forced to listen to Lina's silly plans of moving into the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se when he lived with his aunt and uncle in the Middle Ring. Whenever she asked for his opinion on the best way for her to move up in society, Wenhao always callously shut her down. He sees no point in trying to pander to the stuffy nobles in the Upper Ring and thinks Lina would be better off focusing on more worthwhile goals. However, Lina is determined to move up the social leader and live a more prosperous life, so she unabashedly followed Wenhao whenever he was tasked to deliver herbal medicine to citizens living in the Upper Ring, much to the older boy's exasperation. However, if danger ever befalls Lina, Wenhao will be the first one running to rescue his cousin. She may annoy him to tears with her vapid dreams of becoming nobility one day, but she is still a precious member of his family.

Lina also often helped Wenhao nurse any injured critters he found back to health. Since she learned a fair bit about medicine from her parents, it was easy for Wenhao to instruct her on how to translate those skills from a human patient to an animal. She became his unofficial assistant and also helped him study for exams when he was a university student. Now that Wenhao is back in Omashu, they don't talk to each other as much, save for weekly letters from Kaiwen and Muyi. He keeps her updated on Koda's progress through these letters, knowing how much she'd fawn over the baby badgermole if they ever met.

☯ Animal Companion - Koda (3 months) / Baby Badgermole / 10/10

Wenhao recently began taking care of a baby badgermole he named Koda. Wenhao found Koda during one of his daily walks in the wilderness outside of Omashu. Koda was trapped in a net that was hoisted into the air, leaving the blind animal incredibly disoriented and frightened. Wenhao quickly cut the net and freed the baby badgermole from its rope prison before whoever laid the trap could return. Because Koda was so weak and frightened from the ordeal, Wenhao decided to take him home and raise him until the baby badgermole became strong enough to fend for himself in the wild.

Koda enjoys scrabbling in the dirt while Wenhao playfully earthbends little obstacles for him to climb and tunnel around. He also like to cuddle for warmth and will actively seek out Wenhao's comforting embrace. Since Koda is incredibly curious, he often wanders off whenever he comes across an unfamiliar scent, which is how he got caught in the net in the first place, so Wenhao keeps a close eye on him and has become attuned to the subtle vibrations of Koda's movements. Wenhao is very protective of the baby badgermole and will do anything to keep him from harm, so he is wary of introducing Koda to strangers until they prove themselves as allies. When they are in the city, Wenhao keeps Koda tucked safely in the front pocket of his tunic, since the baby badgermole is still small enough to fit there.

RETURN TO the STORY

luv_kero ✩ Emily

LAST COMMENT: Here is my second of three: my grumpy, earthbending fauna specialist! XD Along with Koda, the cutest baby badgermole in the Earth Kingdom, who will charm everyone around him, hehe (#sorrynotsorryYuru). Definitely let me know if some things aren't consistent or correct and I'll fix them right away! And again, you have full creative control over Wenhao and Yyn's first meeting! The scenario written in the overview is just a proposal to maybe spark some ideas, hehe. Okay, I shall work on my last character now! :)

SCENE SUGGESTION:

☯ None at the moment

PASSWORD: Feel free to matchmake him with whoever you think he'll fit! ^^