Name: Ying
Nickname(s): Age (Appearance Wise): early to mid twenties, but with something of an agelessness about her
Age (Actual): 67
Personality: For better...Careful - As a painter by trade, Ying takes care to do her best work. She is also cautious with herself, never taking unnecessary physical risks. She is not an obsessive perfectionist, but she will take care to do everything properly, and can be relied upon to check her work before considering it done. Even in her relationships, especially if she is lying, the lady takes care to maintain whatever persona she may have put on with a particular person, and recalls well the lies she has told.
Refined - Ying carries herself with elegance and grace that perhaps borders on haughtiness, and would never appear in public with a hair or fold of clothing out of place. She is delicate in her speech, as well, however to call her "diplomatic" or "charismatic" would be a stretch. Though not everything she says is nice, she would never swear. She would speak out of turn only in the most dire of circumstances, and, though she may not mean it, Ying will generally say what people like to hear. She is also quite clever, and can hold her own in most conversations: reading books has given her at least a cursory knowledge in a variety of subjects, though she is only really an expert in her own art and music.
Artistic - Coming from a story where she is a musical instrument, Ying has an ear for music and an eye for beauty. Her paintings are lovely and her clothes stylish, and when the fancy strikes her, she can play most stringed instruments. She can think outside the box as far as problem-solving goes, though she may not be forthright in volunteering her ideas when working with a group. Additionally, she is creative in the stories she fabricates about herself, when seeking the attention of others.
... or for worseHedonist - Ying indulges in whatever pleasures she can find, particularly social ones. She enjoys parties with fine food and song and dance, and seeks constant stimulation. People are of particular interest - cultivating relationships with them and learning their secrets is fascinating.
Distant/Asocial - Though she may sometimes give the appearance of one who cares for others, Ying watches out for herself first and foremost. Every favor, every gift, every smile, every compliment, are performed with Ying's interests in mind.At the same time, she also feels that there is something missing from her understanding of social interaction; though she may profess to be trying to learn it through continued interaction, Ying still has a difficulty forming truly healthy relationships. Her inability to really relate to people is her main shortcoming, and is one with which she is both aware and frustrated; the death of her first and dearest friend has only made her feel worse.
Always behind a mask - Ying has difficulty relating to people in a healthy social manner, instead tending to see most others as things to keep her interested. She is also reluctant to divulge truthful information about herself, unless it seems a dire necessity, and so Ying lies not compulsively but consciously in an effort to present a facade she things will be interesting to others.
Thoughts on the Forest: Why is it so drab? Normally this aspect would bore Ying, but something about the Forest's lack of light, color, and life intrigues the lady, like the memory of a nightmare she cannot quite shake.
Thoughts of Book Children: She knows she is not perfect, but Ying is glad she is herself and not one of the others.
Thoughts on City People: Each one is interesting in his or her own way ... at least for a while.
Physical Appearance: Based on the Jade Pipa spirit - a demon from an enchanted
lute made of jade? A pear-shaped lady, maybe with hairsticks like the keys used to tighten the strings? Lol, if it would be at all possible, I really like the violin dress thing about 3 minutes in on the video for "
She Blinded Me with Science" (which is also just the best song ever, just sayin'). But yeah, something like that combined with hanfu somehow?
History: When she first arrived in the Library City, Ying was drawn to a small glass-walled building on a corner, where she encountered her first City Person in the form of a floating pen writing out all manner of symbols. Her first meal revealed the writer to be a petite City Lady, with a bob haircut, round glasses, and a lovely set of dragonfly wings. She introduced herself simply as &, and took Ying in under her gossamer wings.
& had a lovely gallery set up in the street-level floor of her flat, however no material ever seemed to show in it. She would hang her own calligraphy, and the occasional sketch, and a visitor would come by to leave behind lots of contemplative mmm's every week or two, but it really did not see any great success. Part of this, Ying promptly discovered, was because & was not able to speak like the other City Folk; some impediment crippled her words into little more than an assortment of arrows, crosses, and box drawing elements (or, when she was feeling particularly trite, piles of punctuation). Ying desired to assist, regardless, to repay her friend for the kindness she had shown ... and also realized, when she took up the brush, that she had a knack for decorative script.
Soon, the gallery's walls were filled, and Ying, eager to bring a smile to the face of her City companion, worked her charms to bring visitors to &'s gallery. They made a bit of money and &, though shy at the parties that Ying arranged, enjoyed having books to keep and business to monitor.
And so things went on for a time, with Ying gaining some fame as a painter of illuminated letters, and & maintaining the back end of the gallery's operation. The Book Child also received some commissions to paint portraits of some more important City Folk. The pair lived comfortably, though Ying's lifestyle gradually took up more and more money for fancy dress and cuisine for various parties that she both hosted and attended.
The Plague struck & quickly and without warning. Ying had helped her train her voice into more consistent letters, gradually helping her express herself, and the Plague stole away her words and other characters. And then it stole away Ying's friend and housemate. The Child did all she could to make & comfortable, but still feels guilt at the loss, often covering it up with a craving for attention and companionship. Though she is hardly lonely, she somewhat resents that no one else is quite the same as the friend she once had. If nothing else, she has been whittling away her finances, with & no longer at her side to maintain the ledgers.
Hobbies: painting; illumination (literal); obfuscation (metaphorical); people-watching
Birthday: March 30
Favorite Things: plots of revolution, even if they are not carried out; small, delicate paintings; color; soft fabrics; well-crafted lies
Hated Things: fires bigger than a candle; fortune tellers and others who purport to have clairvoyant abilities; those couples who are very overtly public about their romance
Story: Creation of the Gods (封神演義)Favorite type of Ending: Those sneaky ones that seem to leave more questions than they answer.
Favorite Illustration: Da Ji, in all her splendor
Dreams: The light of the sun and moon over a thousand years
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