SHEVA
 

NICKNAMES:

⤷ SHAN the name she goes by during her time in gaoling to avoid being found out or suspected so everyone she encounters knows her by this name. she had troubling finding any name that stuck to her ear so when xahi decided on him being "xen", she decided on "shan" because they almost rhymed.
⤷ SHEV, SHEVIE two possible shortened versions of her name. virtually anyone close to her can call her by these names.
⤷ YOUNG LADY the way she is addressed by workers in her house or people outside the upper ring, including her guard.

APPEARANCE:

⤷ sheva carries herself with a sense of elegance and grace courtesy of her childhood and environment thus guaranteeing the turning of several heads if she ever walks within a crowd. not just the elegance and grace, her petite stature and soft dear-like facial features, especially her side profile would easily catch the unconscious eyes of passerbys. there is something about her gaze that is doe-like, causing her eyes to be her most attractive feature. one she may have attributed as an inheritance from her mother. her hair is a warm brown and goes down until her chest.

STYLE:

⤷ her family's wealth and her mother's status as one of the upper ring's most sought-after seamstress has made sheva the model of many of her mid-length cheongsam (also known as the qipao) or kimono dresses made out of the most premium silk or cotton since she was young. these dresses are of pastel and lighter colors, often enhanced with floral patterns and gold ts. her hair is often let down  while accessorized with a gold headpiece or braided half up crown style. (similar to the photo) [examples: one two three four]

⤷ currently wears the same type of clothings in gaoling but refrains from wearing dresses that are too extravagant so she doesn't get suspected. in the case she travels with yyn and the group or leaves gaoling, this is what she will be wearing most of the time. in the case of colder weather, she has a cloak that she puts over her upper body.

Who are you?

TRAITS:
astute, pragmatic, empathetic, charismatic, stubborn, calculating, distant, distrustful

PERSONALITY:

living a life being in a role where she has to get the upperhand of others and avoid being targetted by others' verbal critics or actual schemes, sheva has learned to build a safe distance between her and those who she encounters. there is a line, for her, and if you cross it without her permission, she would not hesitate to head back to the safe shelters she built around herself. such is the only way to live and stay alive, she thought. her family could do only so much for her so she always kept in her mind that the final trigger, the fingers who had control to close the door on others, the one who sets the fate and path ahead was her. there is an advantage for those who are able to see the entire forest instead of just a few trees in the woods and that is true for sheva. she is quick in her assessment skills and her reading of the room helps her navigate life in ba sing se. sheva turns hidden opportunities in a situation into her advantage because she does not dwell on what could be or what should be. she dreams just as a youth should but more than that, she thinks about the means in which she can achieve them.

with the natural charm that catches attention from others, it's not hard to believe sheva is indeed her father and mother's daughter. almost magnetic, there is something to her that makes it easier for female elite sheva to attract suitors or admirers but harder for the humane woman sheva to catch a breath to stay lowkey and out of people's ways. however, it is not rare that with such a magnetic charm, sheva uses it to her advantage in a planned process to bring her desirable results so perhaps, under all the scars or hurt she's gotten from him, there is a use of being her father's daughter after all.

underneath the pragmatic cloak she uses to protect herself, there is still a beating heart that is capable of understanding others. seeing the whole forest instead of the few trees, sheva has an intuition to sense how others feel and comprehend how others cope with their own situations. she's able to apply a sense of cognitive empathy towards people and such is a strength she often has difficulty controlling because life in the upper ring provides little room for empahy amidst the embedded competitive and business-oriented ambiance. the people who engage in such an ambiance do not deserve such a warm and humane feeling, she once disclosed to xahi one night after a festive gathering in the upper ring. such a strength does prove useful after she's freed herself from ba sing se as the environment around her seems approving and appropriate of her showing some humane and warmth towards other. sheva finally looks more alive, far from the version of herself that keeps quiet and distant to protect herself.

of course, there is something flawed about how sheva conducts herself as other humans do. she has grown far too accustomed to second guess and suspect others around her. after all, the way of social interactions amongst elites are twisted and dysfunctional in nature. sheva learned not to trust others too much, to not get attached and to do what must be done to stay afloat because she fears of letting others come too close to her. she fears the consequences of allowing people to come near and so, there has always been distance between her and others. safe and sound is what sheva wants thus there is a limit to the way she expresses herself. she chose to share little or just enough and stay sheltered rather than share too much and risk it all. however, there are always exceptions to everything and for sheva's beating heart and empathy, there is a butterfly effect. what she counts as distant in her standards may just be enough to ignite something in others. sometimes, her humanity permeates through the cracks of the safe walls she built and so, words that she thinks can keep the line between her and others protected may not be the case for others. the prime example would be xahi.

how sheva maps the world she sees is rather strategic, structured or analytical in a sense as she makes sure everything is counted and noted. her mind is where she puts all the variables into an equation in order to create a plan or a series of events that can help her get what she wants. she has everything calculated to be done in a seamless fashion that is natural or unsuspicious. after calculating, she would steer away from anything that poses more of a loss than a gain to her. she is crafty or cunning this way but not in the sense that she's willing to hurt or inflict pain on others because her way of calculation only applies to her and her own  actions. sheva learned early in her life that she cannot control others. she can only control herself.

there will come moments where you cannot grasp the logic or understanding sheva bases her decisions upon but such moments show the contrast of how unpredictable a life she's lived on her whole life. sheva is stubborn, much like her father and brother, in the sense that once she settles her eyes on something, there is no turning back for her. suspicious of those who tell her otherwise on her plans or decisions, sheva does not waver. has her life ever gone well listening to the conscience of others over her own? if even she can't hold on to her own morals and judgement, who will? if she cannot believe in her own beliefs, who would believe in them? there are moments where such a resolute mindset has gotten her good and inspired certain people around her but there will be no guarantee it will always be that way, especially in the world outside ba sing se. so, in the future, perhaps such an unlikely headstrong attitude from sheva may surprise others but even such experiences leave sheva room for growth.

leaving the bubbled world in ba sing se has provided sheva time to grow and get comfortable in her own skin at her own pace. even so, having always been an elite, there are certainly many things she has yet to comprehend about the world that unfolds upon her eyes. people may underestimate her but it'd be a wise decision to give sheva time to apply her pragmatism to the scenes unfolding in her eyes. perhaps, then, one would come to realize that she is a person capable of seeing the world as it is. otherwise, how could she come to the decision to walk away from ba sing se on her own feet and will?

BACKGROUND: 

ARC I. THE BIRTH OF A BEAUTY IN THE UPPER RING

the upper ring rejoiced as their most sought-after seamstress married one of the up-and-coming generals in the earth kingdom army, even more when their marriage gifted them a son and a daughter which were named rushe and sheva. this led the two children to have lived in a more than ordinary and simple life in ba sing se. well, at least, in ba sing se standards where "war doesn't exist", they were. when rushe was six years old, he managed to unlock his bending powers as he made the ground beneath four year old sheva shake. that's when sheva retaliated by cuffing his foot to the ground, unlocking her bending powers as well. it was since then that the two siblings received private training by their father and several of his military officers. perhaps, that was the beginning of the life sheva led within the upper ring.

ARC II. THE (UN)EASY LIFE WITHIN THE UPPER RING

sheva grew to live within the prejudice and preconceptions of the society while rushe had his wings to fly wherever he wanted and do whatever he pleased. he was the pride and she was the ornament next to him. that's how it's always been since they were young. he was able to attend formal education in the upper ring while sheva resorted to private tutors coming into the house to teach her. you may wonder why general rahuo was so willing to fund the education for sheva when she'd just live according to the standards of the elites but it was both a collective idea of his and hosha's in order to further raise the standards of men who they'd allow to be around sheva. sheva didn't know this and lived cluelessly without ever realizing this fact. she always thought it was ordinary for her to receive such education. well, it took her a few years into her teens to realize it was exactly the opposite. that was why other elites saw her as an anomaly where she was molded differently. it shows in the conversations between sheva and her mother as she expressed her interests in her own original blueprints of things hosha has never seen before. she showed potential in her creative building, researching how components of certain things tick with one another as she tinkered with a lot of household objects her mother found to be ordinary. sheva was unsuitably clever for a female elite. that's what caused her mother hosha to be worried that the shine in sheva would be taken away by the grimness of the world in ba sing se. after all, it is a men's world out there. 

there had always been times when sheva thought a certain sentence or action by someone else within the upper ring had sent shivers down her spine or gave her discomfort but the only way sheva could think of as a coping mechanism during her teens was to wiggle herself into the mold so that she was similar to other female elites. the young woman sheva grew up to be endured it all with a smile. if she could not beat it, she must at least pretend to join the status quo. even if deep down, she wanted to make something out of her life in ba sing se. within her twisted relationships with her father, she stands for what she wants and goes to all sorts of ways in order to get his approval on her grand plans. her brother may think she's exaggerating or even being naive and unaccepting of her fate but it does surprise him every time their father actually lets her do whatever deals or bargains she proposes. could it be that general rahuo has a strange way of expressing his love and parenting methods for sheva? most possibly. this is the only way to hold on and endure, sheva thought but also quite honestly, she was relieved that her father had even an ounce of humanity within him to fall for her naive shennanigans. little did sheva know, her father did so because he feared losing her the most.

ARC III. THE BARGAIN AND THE SURPRISE

when she was twenty, she expressed her long-time desire to general rahuo: she wanted to study science. such an idea was uncommon and for general rahuo, he did his best to turn down such a strange desire from her daughter. normally, twenty was when female elites in the upper ring get matched and then proceed to get married but sheva knew him too well. she begged that it was the last wish and deal she'd ever floor him. after she graduates, he could do whatever he wanted with her life but before that, she won't accept the idea of marriage. sheva didn't seem to care of the repercussions and general rahuo could see it in her eyes. there was no way she was lying or bluffing. he proposed a counter-offer: in order to keep her safe and watched, she'll have a personal guard assigned to her. sheva retaliated: she would pick out of the candidates he shortlisted and give him the last day of the week off duty. their last bargain was done and the final father-daughter deal between rahuo and sheva was set. there goes sheva, off to finally learn what she's always wanted to learn: science.

along with her first day of learning science, she came face-to-face with the guard she chose who appeared to have a memorable first encounter with her father. xahi was his name and the only particular reason she chose him was because out of all those candidates, he was the only one who was the same age as her and didn't seem to have any ties with anyone from the army since the other candidates had been former soldiers or even officials of her father. xahi just seemed genuine to her and that was the start. he had to her wherever she went, guard her door at all time and make sure she doesn't get into trouble during important elite gatherings or parties and when she's venturing out on the streets (with the overly eye catching elite clothes she wears). sheva knew it was the only way her father would be less concerned with her day movements. sheva never came late and always paid attention to the professors, writing down every important detail during the lectures. all was going well until her graduation that happened four years after her enrollment. her parents and her brother, now captain rushe, all attended her graduation with wide smiles and proud looks.

sheva was high up in the clouds until general rahuo announced shortly after her 24th birthday that she'd been arranged to marry captain gehan, one of general how's sons. this caused utter devastation to sheva. how dare he do such a thing so soon? such a decision angered even her brother and mother. so soon? i'm just doing what you proposed, daughter, i'm doing whatever i want with your life, his sharp words cut her and to this day, she still remembers the very words he said. despite her brother and mother intervening between the two, the damage had been done. father, excuse me but you're not doing what she hopes, you're just trying to get to higher places with wrong ways without even considering what person captain gehan is, her brother rushe had backed her up for the first time and if she had not already done so, sheva would've cried. haven't i told you to reconsider? haven't i told you to give her some time? you really did thought of only yourself and your military prestige as if ranks are everything in your mind, even her mother chimed in. that was the tipping point for sheva. she has heard everything that was necessary and if she were to be honest, in that moment, it truly broke her heart to have general rahuo as her father.
 

ARC IV. THE RUN AWAY FROM BA SING SE

sheva quickly (so quick even xahi was flustered at her speed) fleed from the scene and into her room. she had a sudden realization as her life played itself in the background of her mind. she had tried too hard to morph herself to fit the mold. she had done certain things, put on a certain attitude, obeyed the preconceptions and tried to endure inside the mold when it did not fit her at all. she was never meant for such a life, she thought, and she wanted a life of her own. the deal she made was because she hoped that deep down, her father wouldn't pull such a stunt on her. she had hoped that out of his love for her, he didn't ask her to marry but she faced major disappointment from him instead. the only way she could get out of this life cycle she was in was to run. run away from ba sing se, she thought. sheva knows of the dire repercussions this time because her eyes have been opened to what ba sing se's upper ring really was about and she could not choose to deny it any more. she chose to accept whatever reality had unfolded upon her and even if it means to leave everything behind and lose all that you've ever known, sheva wanted to have control of her own life. many in ba sing se do not have the courage or realization to do so and for sheva, it was a blessing in disguise.

she told xahi of her plans to leave out of courtesy since it's been his job to guard her and when she leaves, he'd lose his job. that's when xahi looked at her with a gaze of emptiness as if there was a void in the middle of his chest, different from his usual self. young lady, it only feels right if i come with you as ba sing se no longer holds meaning to me, sheva clearly remembered him saying. tears leaked out of his eyes as he barely uttered the sentence, i am alone in this world now without my mother and i do not know what my life is anymore. sheva hugged him, knowing how much he loved his mother through their conversations. she also knew if he were to stay, it is highly likely that xahi would be suspected as her accomplice with her father knowing how much xahi has been in close proximity with her. that's how the two decided to help one another escape ba sing se the following night after packing only the necessities. they made their run at night as they set sight on gaoling, the furthest they could be from ba sing se and it was also the birthplace and hometown of xahi's mother.

sheva tries not to think about what would happen in her family when she leaves so before she made her run, she hinted vaguely to her brother who seemed to have understood her underlying message. please clean up the mess i'll leave was what her vague words sounded like to rushe and for the first time, he's only come to admit to her verbally that he, born a man, will never understand the pain of the life she, born a woman, has gone through and in that, she is much more stronger than he is.

nothing made sheva change her mind and after a few weeks, she and xahi arrived at gaoling. they agreed to go under different names, shan and xen, and just live life while finding meaning in it. sheva remembered one night when xahi had shown her the letter his mother left him, writing all the details and stories of his father that were different than what he knew all this time. that was what he meant by his life not knowing its form and meaning anymore, she thought and she can't help but remember how he always insisted that it was his choice to help her run whenever she apologized for putting him in their current situation. if it weren't me, who else would be the perfect escape partner for you, young lady, he joked with his smile. such a joke sounded more than true to sheva. he was indeed the perfect person to run away with because sheva knows him well enough to trust her life and safety to him.

it's been a year since that night they fled ba sing se for gaoling and life is going on well for sheva. under the name shan, she has become a teacher for young children where she teaches them how to read and write. sheva still tinkers at night, writing down of her ideas and progress on her creative building ventures in the nice housing she and xahi found near the market square where he works that's close to the school as well. many gaoling citizens, especially the market square's people and merchants, know them to be a couple and strangely, even before she could say a word, xahi just plays along with the gist as if it were nothing because of "safety measures", he says. despite such shennanigans. to this day, sheva has always been thankful of the luck she used that made her meet with xahi because she truly couldn't have done it without him. though much more humble than her lavish life in ba sing se, sheva enjoys life as it is in gaolin and it's as if she's figuring out her life little by little. every day, there's always something new she never knew and somehow, it excites her, leaving her wanting more.

TRIVIA

⤷ her name holds the meaning of promise and/or oath.
⤷ she often hides it under her clothing but she still wears the necklace gifted to her by her father and mother as a "coming of age" gift when she was 16 because it's the only thing she couldn't leave behind so you could see this as her most prized possession.
⤷ her favorite food are egg custard tarts, crab puffs and dumplings and enjoys drinking jasmine tea throughout the day, especially at night.
⤷ only drinks wine during special occassions like a family dinner or a party but there has been a few times she asked the maid for wine only for her to share it with xahi. even so, the fact that she knows the taste of such an alcoholic beverage amuses yyn and the group.
⤷ if asked by one of yyn's group, yes, she has eaten bison steak before (quite a few times, actually) and it is tasty but she doesn't find it as delicious as roasted duck.
⤷ she always had xahi taste her food in case there was any poison in it. luckily, he's still alive.
⤷ despite her roots, she actually isn't a picky eater (which surprises xahi every time).
⤷ knows how to play the zheng and ruan because she learned to play as a child.
⤷ she isn't the best singer, though. her brother is against her singing in front of others.
⤷ has only dated twice in her life when she was younger (about when she was 15-17?) and both relationships were going well until her brother had intimidated them to not mess around with his sister so in fear, they always broke up with her.
⤷ would love to settle down when the time's right and she meets the one (or realizes she may have already met him). that's why she was against being arranged to marry someone. she wants to love that person sincerely rather than just for power politics motives. however, marriage really is not the top priority for her right now.
⤷ despite her being distrustful, if she ever travels to markets or sees merchants, she may as well fall for the price tags because well, she has no substantial experience buying and interacting with merchants since she always had house maids shop for her food or clothing so xahi is very quick to intervene for her.
⤷ sleeps like a rock when she falls asleep but will wake up quickly when someone wakes her up in the middle of her sleep, may be a bit grumpy if you do so though.
⤷ when she's sad or angry, she always spends the night looking at the stars out of her bedroom window and just contemplate while feeling the air. she made stargazing a way for her to relax and just stare blankly at the world outside her window.
⤷ she does not mind physical interactions like hugs from someone because she does value being around and spending time with the people that she enjoys or connects with.
⤷ only recently after moving to gaoling, did sheva learn of there being an actual war outside ba sing se. she couldn't believe it but as she continues life in gaoling, she's learning more about it and even she knows that such a war damages everything in its way.

RELATIONSHIPS: 

⤷ GENERAL RAHUO father (52) / earth kingdom army / pragmatic, ambitious, taciturn, strong-headed / 4/10

general rahuo has always had a soft spot for sheva even if he is rather unexpressive of it. their father-daughter relationship is quite twisted or rather alternating between hot and cold as rahuo has trouble expressing his feelings despite the amount of fondness he has for his daughter. this has caused their relationship to have always been like walking on thin ice. sheva does see general rahuo as a fine general, one fit of being respected by others and for that, she respects his work ethics. however, as father rahuo, she would rather not say. not that he was absent in her life, it was just that sheva can't seem to bear becoming close to him. sheva and her father interact just fine with each other but when it comes to getting what they both want, the two resort to bargaining and making deals with one another under their own terms and conditions like the dysfunctional family that they are. rahuo sees sheva as a wonderful young lady that perhaps elsewhere, she could have something for herself with the same look in her eyes like her mother so deep down, that's why he perhaps gives in to her bargains and deals. general rahuo seldom eats his own words in front of sheva but always, at the end of the day, he knows that he often hurts her feelings. especially, the decision to arrange a marriage for her that led her to run away from home. only then would general rahuo realize that it was his own actions and decisions that drove her away.

⤷ MADAME HOSHA mother (48) / sought-after seamstress / wise, caring, resilient / 7/10

the only person sheva could truly rely on was her mother hosha. she, unlike sheva, was not born of upper ring origin thus she has learned how to stand her ground among the elites. sheva finds solice and warmth talking to her mother and bonding as she becomes the model for the dresses her mother is sewing and designing. through those hours, sheva has come to understand herself, her family and the world she lives in more due to her mother's wisdom as they sipped cups of tea. her mother was the source of strength that causes her to be able to live and as two women who live in the upper ring, their connection is strong as ever because they can only depend on one another. hosha cannot stand how rahuo sometimes treats sheva and has told him off several times for both their sakes so it hurts her to see the unrepairable drift between the two people as rahuo's decision to arrange a marriage for sheva ultimately pushed her daughter off the edge. there was a reason that hosha herself actually went against the arranged marriage so soon. thus, she prays for sheva's health and safety wherever she is, promising to comfort the family that she's left. sheva, as well, hopes that her mother was not too in shock of her disappearance and prays that she will be okay in ba sing se.

⤷ CAPTAIN RUSHE brother (27) / earth kingdom army / straightforward, dogmatic / 7/10

the other man of the house, captain rushe is sheva's brother (unfortunately). the two siblings have never really got along with one another even since they were kids. rushe always seemed to pick on her and drove her crazy but as their mother hosha once told sheva, rushe has inherited the traits of their father and has grown accustomed to the society that makes him feel like he could do anything in the world. even so, hosha tells sheva every now and then that rushe means well under all the thorns he's became numb to because after all, sheva was his only sister. rushe and her often go against one another in training but then, sheva realized that every time, rushe always extended his hand to her and helped her stand again. the two siblings don't know how to fully express themselves towards one another so the best they got to reconciling was a laidback conversation as rushe sneaked in some of their father's best wine and they drank it on his room. turns out, he intimidated her past boyfriends because he knew they were meeting other women than her and that he overheard them criticizing her values and views. such is the ending of their long-lived misunderstood sibling relationships and when sheva was announced to marry someone she didn't love, rushe vouched for her in front of their father before rahuo slapped him in the face. sheva was thankful for rushe's support, especially when she told him in advance (vaguely) of her plans to run away from their home. sheva will never forget rushe's response that night, "dear sister, wherever you are, whatever time it is, i hope that you'll always walk with the same glimmer you carry and fight any jerks the way you sometimes beat me in training."

⤷ CAPTAIN GEHAN former to-be fiancé (29) / earth kingdom army / self-assured, judgemental, hothead / 0/10

it's not as if sheva doesn't know captain gehan because how could she not know the oldest son of general how? it's just that sheva seldom sees him in the upper ring due to his stationed location and even if she sees him during the gatherings of the elites, she does not find him likeable. the assertive look and aura, the lack of open-mindedness or flexibility in his opinions or views and especially, the nasty temper he's said to have combine to make a man that sheva least wants to associates herself with. even her brother, rushe, agrees with her: gehan is quite a jerk who is only regarded highly due to who his father was and did not resemble the characters of general how at all. hence, the reaction of anger, despair and disapproval she let out as her father made the arrangements to her so-called "marriage" to captain gehan. sheva has never given a thought about what captain gehan would think of her because honestly, she does not really care. he would most likely be angry that someone has refused his hand in marriage and that someone being sheva would've hurt his ego or feelings even more which makes sheva not want to care or think about it much more.

⤷ GENERAL HOW former to-be father-in-law (??) / earth kingdom army / analytical, resourceful, steadfast, ambitious / 3/10

unlike the son captain gehan, the father general how is much more human and likeable in sheva's eyes. the way he brings himself is just different from his son and even if sheva rarely interacts with him, she knows of the general's kindness and attitude from the short greetings or chit-chat shared in the grand gatherings of the upper ring society. sheva does not really have any bad regards for general how in particular as she does believe that a personality is not determined by the family since well, rushe and her are a prime example. though she does respect general how, she cannot fathom why or how he would agree to such an arragement to wed her with his son if he was the kind person she knew. sheva chooses not to dwell on it because it would serve her no good to overthink about it. she just hopes that whatever the impression she may have left on general how, he has the willingness to forgive her for what she's done because honestly, she can't deny that she left a big mess behind in ba sing se.

⤷ XAHI personal guard (25) / guard by day, researcher by night / more in his app / 10/10

where does sheva start with xahi? even if xahi himself does not know this as sheva's father seeemed to be the one to brief him or give him orders on his job description (female elites don't have much power, after all) but she was the one who pointed him out from the many candidates to be her personal guard, the one who arranged his working hours and ultimately, the only one person left for him to depend on. that's why she feels somewhat responsible for what they've overcome. she's known him for five years now since the first day he came to report for his guarding duty and if she were to be honest, sheva could not forget the look in his eyes. there was determination as if his life depended on this job. for the five years they've been in close proximity with each other, sheva has grown both dependent and fond of xahi. though he was quite cold or intimidating at first with his "death stare" as she phrases it, it did not take her long to come to understand why xahi is the way he is. they would converse with one another as xahi escorts wherever she went, sheva deliberately taking him around the middle ring and/or the upper ring to buy more time to talk to the enigmatic person whose supposed to be guarding her life. he softens when he speaks of his mother and of his dreams which only then, sheva feels as if he's human. though it was never in the rules, sheva didn't mind being personal with xahi. after all, unlike those in her family, he's the one guarding her most of the time. that's why every now and then, she would invite him to stargaze on the roof or sip some wine she sneaked from rushe. all the small moments and memories they shared have left a mark in sheva's mind and honestly, she'd want to make more of those so she can imprint them forever in her mind.

SKillset

EARTHBENDING:

⤷ in contrast with her refined and graceful appearance, sheva is a skillfull earthbender. she is more trained to be defensive rather than offensive due to the discrimination caused by her gender (her brother was  taught more offensive skills as a result) when she was younger but after she turned eighteen, sheva was finally allowed the same training her brother had in offensive skills. she is able to make multiple pieces of stone or rocks levitate, launching them at the target with a pushing motion. in terms of the defensive skills she was trained to do by her father, she's able to counter other earthbenders' attacks by destroying their means of attack with a snap and can make the ground shift or earthquakes so that she has enough time to escape. her defensive skills include making a wall of earth, cuffing an opponent's limbs, forming an armor for protection and blocking attacks out of earth.

MECHANICS AND MACHINERY:

⤷ it is the field of study sheva had always been focused and interested in since she was young thus she knows quite a lot about machinery. she does know to tinker with the spare parts of engines or vehicles and fix or even enhance them after years of doing so in the confines of her lavish ba sing se home. despite her parents and brother stopping her from getting her hands dirty in oil or sweat because it is "ungraceful" to look at, sheva has her ways to be able to obtain the things she needs in order to practice what she's learned in her private education, be it through her house maids or personal guard. if anyone's ever needed to step in as your reliable mechanic, sheva is the one you could trust to do just that.

SEISMIC SENSE:

⤷ the skill that she rarely discloses to anyone, sheva had always been born with this innate "talent". she's noticed that she's able to sense her surroundings more accutely and after a bit of field research with xahi, it's been confirmed that she's able to perceive vibrations, movements and hidden subterranean caverns within a 10 meters distance. this skill of hers makes sheva aware of any possible ambush or offensive advances nearing her way only within that 10 meters distance. she doesn't do anything to train or improve this skill and lets it be the way it has been. she sometimes mentions it as "gut feeling".

WEAPONRY / SELF-DEFENSE:

⤷ it was never in the books for sheva to learn how to handle weapons but due to her family's military-heavy background, she was able to learn a bit of weapons handling as a sparring or training partner of her brother. she sticks to the katana, dagger and the bow and arrow because there was never really a strong desire for her to be skilled in weaponry. so, now, she knows enough to be able to defend herself. in terms of martial arts, she was taught certain pressure points that can help her escape and turn the tables as well as basic skills or moves that should protect her from being overwhelmed by an attacker.

Are You Ready?

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT WAR?

⤷ before leaving ba sing se: "such a word, such an incident happening is quite unthinkable for me. what war, by whom and for what? is there one happening right now? well, luckily, there is no war in ba sing se."

⤷ after moving to gaoling: "it is such an unforgivable, merciless occurence that needs to be stopped. there shouldn't be a war. aren't such violence actions more harmful than good?"

DO YOU THINK IT WILL END SOON? DO YOU WANT IT TO?

⤷ before leaving ba sing se: "hopefully, it will. it has to. i want it to... but of course, things do not happen easily as you wish."

⤷ after moving to gaoling: "who doesn't want it to end, when many are losing their lives and families? the faster it ends, the faster the world can start to heal the wounds inflicted by its own people. isn't that right?"

IF THERE IS A NEW AVATAR, IT WOULD BE SOMEONE FROM THE FIRE NATION. HOW WOULD YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT FACT?

⤷ before leaving ba sing se: "does it make any difference? fate and destiny has set its path so who are we to deny the avatar? the avatar is the one who'll restore order, no? such is the task and divine mission of an avatar that should be placed above their origin and the identity that comes with such an attribute."

⤷ after moving to gaoling: "it seems that fate and destiny has decided the most unprecendented path for the avatar. the fire nation, you say? it will definitely cause the said nation to gain more leverage to continue their actions upon the world. if that wasn't any worst... well, there should be a way to open the avatar's eyes to the dysfunctional world we live in now. there has to be. such is the belief i have, without a doubt."