Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2008 20:58:28 GMT -6
WARNING: CHARACTER BIO CONTAINS HOMOSEXUAL ELEMENTS
Name: Kuma Takeda
Age: 28
Appearance: Amoung the average short and stocky earthbenders Kuma is considered tall at six foot two though still dwarfed by some of the monstrous sized earthbenders as The Hippo.
Unlike many other benders of his element Kuma's muscles are more lean than bulky making him look common, though tall, when he wears his coat.
Most of Kuma's looks stem from a personal belief in not altering his body in any way. Hair cuts and shaving are against his beliefs as are jewelry such as earrings or bracelets. His long beard is kept in a tight braid and hangs to his chest while the dull, black hair on his head is combed back and hangs loose then stops at his waist.
He keeps his hands covered in gloves bent from stones as members of the Dai Li are known to do. This is due in no way to an affiliation to the Dai Li but as a way to cover the burn marks on his hands which he is self-conscious about. The only alteration Kuma allows to his body is trimming his finger and toe nails as bending and fighting had torn off three of his fingernails, another reason he his wary of people seeing his hands.
With his long green-trimmed black jacket with it's high collar and sleeves overlapping his arms most people mistake him for a bandit trying to hide himself. On the back of his coat is a green centipede crawling out of the square hole of the Earth Kingdom's symbol. This was the symbol of the division he first served in. Though, he no longer serves with them he wears the coat out of sense of pride and sentiment.
In contrast to his precisely tailored jacket Kuma wears tattered gray pants with many stitches from sewing them together again and again. Sometimes to keep his long hair manageable he wraps it up in a gray length of cloth much like a turban.
As Kuma has difficulty with buttons due to the damage of his hands he prefers to wear shirts that do not button.
Kuma stands at a slgihtly rall height but retains a wide and dense body. Like most earthbenders, he does not wear shoes. His feet have been noted as being more hairy than most.
History: Kuma grew up in a mining town near the Nan Shan River to earthbenders Ushi and Shino Takeda. As earthbenders could make double the money as a typical miner Kuma learned to earthbend and then mine at the age of 12. Neither parent had an interest in teaching him the martial aspects of earthbending until Kuma turned 13 and began feeling yearnings he thought weren't natural.
As Ushi was a quiet and serious man Kuma feared his father's reaction when he confessed his romantic leanings. Ushi only sighed and told his son he not only had to learn to fight but had to be tougher than everyone else. He took his father's words to heart. "People will assume you are weak. Prove otherwise."
Hearing offhand comments about other people with his sexual prefferences drove Kuma to become stronger and what he considered more manly. Once the village mine was stripped Kuma's family had taken up fishing the Nan Shan river which Kuma abandoned the first time the opportunity presented itself. Fishing wasn't manly. Fighting in the war was. At 16 he walked into the nearest base for the military fighting the Fire Nation and honed his offensive earthbending talents.
On a night off when most of the soldiers frequented the local brothel Kuma noticed a delicate looking boy his age rushing toward the local playhouse which Kuma had never noticed as he preferred the more masculine locations of the tavern and brothel. On a whim he attended a show and fell in love. The make-up and costume drew him in, but it was the grace and beauty of the coreographed martial arts of the opera that captured his heart. Soon the young men of the brothel and the cheap drinks of the tavern no longer held his interest. He ingrained himself with the troupe of actors and discovered hidden talents of acrobatic martial arts and to his surprise, singing.
Although it was in no way manly, Kuma loved performing in the opera. Particularly the physical aspects such as tumbling and mock fighting. While he loved opera he in no way advertised his attachment as he was afraid it would be deemed effeminate by his comrades.
After being severely wounded by an enemy firebender which resulted in burn scars on his hands he was sent from his base to one with better medical facilities but no opera house in the surrounding area.
As it was wrongly assumed the burns on his hands would inhibit his earthbending he was discharged at the age of 22. He has spent his time since roaming to the various bases of the Earth Kingdom offering his services as a soldier. In between military stints Kuma glady joined any travelling performers.
Even when not in an acting troupe he does his best to keep his theatrical skills sharp, but always far away from prying eyes. Performing still had a taint of not being manly and is a source of embarassment despite his enjoyment of it. He is currently in between military obligations and acting gigs.
Personality: A large chip resides on Kuma's shoulder regarding his homosexuality. As such, he refuses to present himself as anything other than a tough, stoic man. This is in constant conflict with his deep enthusiasm for stage performance. Even in his lighter moods he will only smile in the slightest and chuckle briefly.
Kuma has been known to treat even victims of the Fire Nation with contempt the times he felt they did not defend themselves adequately. Amoung his fellow soldiers he was given the nickname "The Bastard of Nan Shan" due to his acerbic personality. Once discovered, Kuma took the derisive nickname as his own.
His instructors in both earthbending and opera have both noted that while difficult to deal with on a personal level Kuma trained to an obsessive degree. At other times he would disregard any teachings he deemed "not his style" much to the chagrin of his superiors. Therefore, while he technically bends at an advanced level his skills are not complete and utterly lack all but the most rudimentary abilities of defense and creation.
While Kuma despises the Fire Nation he had complimented them on their strength and even brutality at times. His contempt for many victims combined with his hatred for the Fire Nation are a constant source of conflict.
Kuma respects people who fight and has a certain fondness for those who fight losing battles. Amoung the many people he hates are those that blame others for the circumstances of their life.
So as not to seem like a philanthropist Kuma is always the first to point out the selfishness of his own actions. Any fight taken on he claims are to test his strength.
Some people have noted that Kuma is not completely unkind, but his kindness typically is accompanyed by criticism and sometimes outright insults.
Name: Kuma Takeda
Age: 28
Appearance: Amoung the average short and stocky earthbenders Kuma is considered tall at six foot two though still dwarfed by some of the monstrous sized earthbenders as The Hippo.
Unlike many other benders of his element Kuma's muscles are more lean than bulky making him look common, though tall, when he wears his coat.
Most of Kuma's looks stem from a personal belief in not altering his body in any way. Hair cuts and shaving are against his beliefs as are jewelry such as earrings or bracelets. His long beard is kept in a tight braid and hangs to his chest while the dull, black hair on his head is combed back and hangs loose then stops at his waist.
He keeps his hands covered in gloves bent from stones as members of the Dai Li are known to do. This is due in no way to an affiliation to the Dai Li but as a way to cover the burn marks on his hands which he is self-conscious about. The only alteration Kuma allows to his body is trimming his finger and toe nails as bending and fighting had torn off three of his fingernails, another reason he his wary of people seeing his hands.
With his long green-trimmed black jacket with it's high collar and sleeves overlapping his arms most people mistake him for a bandit trying to hide himself. On the back of his coat is a green centipede crawling out of the square hole of the Earth Kingdom's symbol. This was the symbol of the division he first served in. Though, he no longer serves with them he wears the coat out of sense of pride and sentiment.
In contrast to his precisely tailored jacket Kuma wears tattered gray pants with many stitches from sewing them together again and again. Sometimes to keep his long hair manageable he wraps it up in a gray length of cloth much like a turban.
As Kuma has difficulty with buttons due to the damage of his hands he prefers to wear shirts that do not button.
Kuma stands at a slgihtly rall height but retains a wide and dense body. Like most earthbenders, he does not wear shoes. His feet have been noted as being more hairy than most.
History: Kuma grew up in a mining town near the Nan Shan River to earthbenders Ushi and Shino Takeda. As earthbenders could make double the money as a typical miner Kuma learned to earthbend and then mine at the age of 12. Neither parent had an interest in teaching him the martial aspects of earthbending until Kuma turned 13 and began feeling yearnings he thought weren't natural.
As Ushi was a quiet and serious man Kuma feared his father's reaction when he confessed his romantic leanings. Ushi only sighed and told his son he not only had to learn to fight but had to be tougher than everyone else. He took his father's words to heart. "People will assume you are weak. Prove otherwise."
Hearing offhand comments about other people with his sexual prefferences drove Kuma to become stronger and what he considered more manly. Once the village mine was stripped Kuma's family had taken up fishing the Nan Shan river which Kuma abandoned the first time the opportunity presented itself. Fishing wasn't manly. Fighting in the war was. At 16 he walked into the nearest base for the military fighting the Fire Nation and honed his offensive earthbending talents.
On a night off when most of the soldiers frequented the local brothel Kuma noticed a delicate looking boy his age rushing toward the local playhouse which Kuma had never noticed as he preferred the more masculine locations of the tavern and brothel. On a whim he attended a show and fell in love. The make-up and costume drew him in, but it was the grace and beauty of the coreographed martial arts of the opera that captured his heart. Soon the young men of the brothel and the cheap drinks of the tavern no longer held his interest. He ingrained himself with the troupe of actors and discovered hidden talents of acrobatic martial arts and to his surprise, singing.
Although it was in no way manly, Kuma loved performing in the opera. Particularly the physical aspects such as tumbling and mock fighting. While he loved opera he in no way advertised his attachment as he was afraid it would be deemed effeminate by his comrades.
After being severely wounded by an enemy firebender which resulted in burn scars on his hands he was sent from his base to one with better medical facilities but no opera house in the surrounding area.
As it was wrongly assumed the burns on his hands would inhibit his earthbending he was discharged at the age of 22. He has spent his time since roaming to the various bases of the Earth Kingdom offering his services as a soldier. In between military stints Kuma glady joined any travelling performers.
Even when not in an acting troupe he does his best to keep his theatrical skills sharp, but always far away from prying eyes. Performing still had a taint of not being manly and is a source of embarassment despite his enjoyment of it. He is currently in between military obligations and acting gigs.
Personality: A large chip resides on Kuma's shoulder regarding his homosexuality. As such, he refuses to present himself as anything other than a tough, stoic man. This is in constant conflict with his deep enthusiasm for stage performance. Even in his lighter moods he will only smile in the slightest and chuckle briefly.
Kuma has been known to treat even victims of the Fire Nation with contempt the times he felt they did not defend themselves adequately. Amoung his fellow soldiers he was given the nickname "The Bastard of Nan Shan" due to his acerbic personality. Once discovered, Kuma took the derisive nickname as his own.
His instructors in both earthbending and opera have both noted that while difficult to deal with on a personal level Kuma trained to an obsessive degree. At other times he would disregard any teachings he deemed "not his style" much to the chagrin of his superiors. Therefore, while he technically bends at an advanced level his skills are not complete and utterly lack all but the most rudimentary abilities of defense and creation.
While Kuma despises the Fire Nation he had complimented them on their strength and even brutality at times. His contempt for many victims combined with his hatred for the Fire Nation are a constant source of conflict.
Kuma respects people who fight and has a certain fondness for those who fight losing battles. Amoung the many people he hates are those that blame others for the circumstances of their life.
So as not to seem like a philanthropist Kuma is always the first to point out the selfishness of his own actions. Any fight taken on he claims are to test his strength.
Some people have noted that Kuma is not completely unkind, but his kindness typically is accompanyed by criticism and sometimes outright insults.