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Name: Zhen Mie Lun
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Element: Air

Residence: Upper Ring
Occupation: Professor at the University of Ba Sing Se

Who are you?

My childhood was normal until the age of seven. My parents were both well placed government officials and from families with illustrious histories and high expectations. The Lun family has historically relied on their wits and their reputation for excellent work; they did not have a noble title or great wealth that could carry them, a single disappointing generation could ruin all that they had. Having a Bender inside the family was not an option for them, and so as soon as I turned seven and was old enough that the test was accurate, they administered a test for bending ability; they would do the same for my younger siblings. Unlike them, I was a Bender. What followed next was an extremely loud screaming match between my parents of which I only remember portions of, but my Grandfather’s files have helped me regarding the details.

Eventually they stopped shouting about whose side of the family was at fault, if the claim of five hundred years of nonbenders on my father’s side was false, how their admittedly far-fetched dream of having me grow up to marry a certain young prince was now completely impossible and worked on a course of action. They explored whether they could go to the RSF without any public exposure or if they should simply try to handle the matter in the privacy of their own home and concoct a story about a tragic accident, but then my Grandfather mentioned another option, one he learned about when he received the security clearances necessary for his term as Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry: The LSF.

All was arranged for my parents, the paperwork for my trip to “boarding school” was produced, and if I died they were assured that all of the official records would say nothing of the actual circumstances. The years in training were unpleasant; I am told I cried a lot at first, more than most, but also that I displayed a commendable amount of endurance and malleability. I recall them comparing me to wet clay.

After training they determined other ways that I could be useful. At the time there was a classified project inside the RSF to catalog the old spiritual works of the benders, and I was invited to join them. It was a welcome change, and all of those hours inside the classified library are times I look back fondly on, especially as my relationship with my parents never fully recovered. My work proved useful when a new directive came from the highest levels of the government; a plan to replace the previous official policy of total censorship regarding the works of the past with an effort to develop a counter-narrative. They laid out a plan for my adult life; I would be the intellectual spearhead of this movement, a philosophical wunderkind. It went exactly as expected; my first published work was a scathing and authoritative analysis of Bender spirituality, immediately it was hailed as the definitive treatment of the topic. More acclaim followed, I became a staple of televised debates, my books reached the bestseller lists, and my rise in the philosophy department at the University of Ba Sing Se has been one of the fastest in the long history of the college. I broadened my horizons, producing works of moral philosophy that argued for a new, modern system based on utilitarian concerns, creating the Doing What We Can charitable foundation, which is committed to using its money towards whatever cause would save the most lives per Yuan, and marrying an equally fast rising law professor. In all outward respects, my life has been a success, my Husband and I are constant fixtures at prestigious social gatherings, I have humiliated my philosophical opponents in public debates, and I live in a lovely house in the upper ring that’s only downside is having to commute to the middle ring when it is time to teach classes. None of this matters, none of this can make me happy. I have a two thousand page manuscript sitting unfinished where I am to defend notions that I have long stopped believing, obsolete ideas like objective truth and free will. It doesn’t matter how many people tell me I am right if I don’t believe it myself, if I can’t see the world as anything except a collection of particles. I feel like I would be happier without the fame, without the prestige, if I could just go back to those days where I sat all by myself in the classified library. My marriage is one without love, it lumbers onward sustained by sheer inertia, neither I nor my husband invest any intimacy or care in it. I suspect he finds it elsewhere, while I learn to do without except for the rare moments of daydreaming of another relationship. The only thing I can say I truly like is teaching, whether it is instructing Ba Sing Se’s finest at the university, or helping to sharpen the next batch of LSF, there is something satisfying about shaping someone’s mind and seeing them grow.


What is your opinion on Benders?
I would like to preface this by saying that I am well versed in the philosophical works of the Bender era. I have read the religious and philosophical works of six Avatars, along with the spiritual works of Guru Pathik, Guru Laghima, Tenzin, Katara, Iroh, Zaheer, Unalaq, and Jinora and many other important works. I would venture to say that I have read more comprehensively on this subject than anyone else known to the public (I acknowledge to possibility there may be some with greater knowledge who aren’t yet known). I have found all of these works to be wanting and inferior to modern philosophy, full of untruths and sloppy logic. I find more value in analyzing their words as an insight into primitive psychology and anxieties rather than taking them as serious attempts to answer philosophical questions.

Those words were about the Bender’s philosophical system, but I am equally hostile towards the act of Bending. The legacy of Benders has been one of strife, inequality, and a feebleminded worldview that destroys any hope of progress. Bending is simply incompatible with a modern society, one that guarantees welfare for all and finds truths that were obscured by old superstitions. I say this without any malice to individual Benders; I will even admit our present system is excessively cruel. I wish that I could persuade all of them to see what is at stake so that would give up voluntarily, and even if there are some who cannot be swayed, I want their neutralization to be swift and without any suffering. This is the cost of the modern world, where modern agriculture and medicine have saved more lives than even the greatest Avatars, and one that surely has even more wonders we have yet to see. Perhaps tomorrows scientists shall abolish death, put joy in a pill or find a way to download ten thousand minds into a device the size of a pebble. Will there be a moment when we have found the last answer, when there is no mystery left in the world? I don’t know, but the present system is the only thing that has any hope of reaching that goal. That alone means that there is no cost I would not bear to uphold it.

Bending Skills
Master-level Air Bender
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Equipment:
Combat Suit:


Features:
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Basics

🜂 Gender - Male
🜂 Age - 27
🜂 Element - Fire 🜂
🜂 Civil Occupation - COO & Board member of Soran Enterprises
Private Work Lotus Security Force Agent
🜂 Residency - Upper Ring


Who are you? 🜂 What do you want to know about me? I am known to be a professional gentleman in the public eyes, but I could tell you who I truly am. First, I will start simple; I am the eldest son of the Soran family, Katakuri Soran. Currently, my position in the company is as the COO of the Soran Enterprise and Financials company, while my father, Mazu Soran, is the CEO.

The main focus of the Soran Enterprise and Financials business is supporting the current economy of Ba Sing Se and brainstorming on how to make it financially better. The stock market and automatic baking are most important to the family, as we specialize in those fields. We are known for supporting the Republic and helping fund the Republic Security Force.

With this information, I am glad to say that I will one day take over this company and improve the security on all levels of Ba Sing Se.

You are still here. I assume you want to know me more personally? Sigh. All business aside, I have been an individual of research my whole life. I crave to know more about this world and how the people could benefit from inside and outside of these walls. Growing up, I would always sit by my mother's houseplants while studying and thinking about the outside. If people could improve from it.

What is your opinion on bending? 🜂 In the days of old, bending was beautiful. In current times, bending would be nothing less than destructive. Think of people parading around with abilities, terrorizing the common public with such power. No matter if you were born and raised in the Undergrounds of this city or the Upper ring, you cannot deny that those powers..., those abilities would be used for malicious intent.
Humans do not need access to those powers. I am glad they are not widespread anymore. I think it is safer if we do not talk about this in a public area, either.

Why are you here? 🜂 Early on, my family became aware of my powers, which they made an effort to keep a secret from the public. The Lotus Security Force addressed my family and inquired about what might be done about me when I was seven or eight. At the age of fourteen, my family decided to sign me over to the secretive organization while maintaining a benign demeanor in public.

The superiors who were responsible for watching over me started to notice my swift instincts of fight or flight as soon as training started; I had fighting instincts. I was determined to survive and complete training as quickly as I could. However, training was anything from simple. My parents always warned me before training that if I didn't win, the Lotus Security Force would eliminate me. I'm not sure if this is true, but I wasn't going to let myself become discouraged and lost.

"𝐻𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝑜𝑜 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝒾𝓉 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓈 𝓉𝑜 𝒸𝓊𝓉𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒹𝑜𝓌𝓃 𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝑜𝓅𝓅𝑜𝓃𝑒𝓃𝓉, 𝒽𝑒 𝒾𝓈𝓃'𝓉 𝒽𝑒𝓈𝒾𝓉𝒶𝓃𝓉..."

"𝐻𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝓁𝒾𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝑜𝓇𝒹𝑒𝓇𝓈, 𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝑜𝑒𝓈𝓃'𝓉 𝒽𝑒𝓈𝒾𝓉𝒶𝓉𝑒, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝑜𝑒𝓈 𝑒𝓍𝒶𝒸𝓉𝓁𝓎 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒽𝑒 𝓃𝑒𝑒𝒹𝓈 𝓉𝑜. "

"𝐻𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝑒𝓍𝒶𝒸𝓉𝓁𝓎 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓌𝑒 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉, 𝒾𝓈 𝒾𝓉 𝓃𝑜𝓉? "

To achieve where I am now, I have trained for countless hours. Being pitted against others and forced into circumstances that, given the choice, the majority of individuals wouldn't dare attempt. Only a small percentage of agents who enroll in the Lotus Security Force get through this course and graduate. I was gladly one of them.

A few years ago, I thought about retiring or escaping the Lotus Security Force, but I realized that benders do not belong in the modern age. An incident occurred around this time which cost my fiancée her life and endangered my daughter, Chosah. This was a turning point for why I could not leave the LSF and why I would not leave it.

Extra(s)


The Soran family have always fancied dogs in their lives, especially as guards. Rumor has it, you will never see Katakuri without Archer and Duchess.

Another rumor is that the Soran family hides behind the official family business. They are not known to be pleasant when you owe them money.

Lotus Security Force Outfit
This outfit is specialized and is equipped with the needed items for Katakuri to go through with his jobs. He tends to carry around two shurikens, two kunai, and a 50ft rope with a grapple. He tends to be old school when hunting other benders, and he always keeps his identity hidden while working. On his utility belt, he carries a synergy pistol, yet he tries to use that as a last resort weapon.

Abilities
🜂 Knowledge on how to operate synergy pistols
🜂 Advanced bending knowledge
🜂 Specializes in the bending techniques that deal with lightning
🜂 Knowledge of mixed martial arts from participating in clubs while growing up.

Image:



Name: Chae-Won
Age: 28
Gender: Female
Element: Earth

Residence: Lower Ring

Occupation: Courier / Fixer

Who are you?







What is your opinion on Benders?
After I lost everything, it gave me something back.

When Jin turned 16, they attempted to shake up the Ba Sing Se masses as a thief known as the Flying Frog. They had a highly successful 6-month run of the Upper Ring, going from nobody to nightmare. But that which flies, must also fall. Having pissed off too many of the wrong people, they were ultimately captured, red-handed, by the RSF. During questioning, the RSF tried to break Jin, and get them to spill about where the stolen items went. After that was unsuccessful, they were grilled about where their thieving gear came from. A grappling hook, goggles, and smoke bombs were items that didn’t one couldn’t buy from a Lower Ring corner store. When Jin said they made the items, and were deemed not to be lying, they were provided a choice.

Spent enough time in prison to equal the cost of items they stole, or join the LSF, a special branch of the military.

Jin chose the military. They knew that people from the Lower Ring went to prison and came out changed forever, with restrictions that would follow them for life. And then there were those who went to prison and never came out. At least the military would give them a chance at a job, even if it was working for the wrong side.

They nearly died in basic training. Despite being in relatively decent shape, they were also very malnourished. Jin manged to survive through expertly swiped food from the mess hall, as well as pure spite.

The second year marked the start of LSF training, and a new course opened for Jin’s life.

Skilled graduates from the RSF, some of them handpicked by the brass, were put through a grueling course meant to turn the blunt hammer of a soldier into the precision instrument of a specialist. Their limits were pushed, broken, and reforged. Starvation, sleep deprivation, extreme environments – nothing was off the table. Many hopefuls died in the attempt.

Jin continued to live. One night, Jin found a book under their pillow. The cover read “Advanced Mathematical Techniques”, with the initials S.L. Jin read a few pages, and a few pages more… they dreamt of numbers. A day after they finished that book, a new one showed up beneath their pillow. In between the harsh training regiment, Jin’s mind started to expand.

Despite a rocky beginning, Jin graduated high in their class, only beaten by one other individual. They were immediately recruited into Captain Dermok’s strike team.

They returned to the Lower Ring to find that most of their ‘friends’ had moved on long ago, besides Lady Cho. Lady Cho assumed Jin had been in prison, and Jin kept up the lie.

I dunno, people who can spit fire, or move wind? One person who keeps coming back to life and can control the core elements of the planet? Sounds too good to be true, don’t it? I don’t really care about ‘em. Sounds like they had it great, being able to do stuff other people can’t just because of bloodlines or whatever. Sounds a whole lot like Upper ring folk to me. Looking down on others just because they got lucky enough to be born special. Good riddance to that shit. The fact is, no one wants ‘em anymore. From what little I remember from school, they weren’t nothin’ but arrogant troublemakers. If I was a Bender – and I damn sure ain’t – I’d keep that to myself.