Post by Yi Yun-Uk on Sept 23, 2014 20:34:47 GMT -5
yi yun-uk
seventeen ◉ genderfluid ◉ 5'6" ◉ earth kingdom ◉ theatre troupe
appearance ◉
Before any confusion sets the stage, Yun-Uk is biologically male. His appearance takes after that of his mother's more than that of his fathers. He inherited her soft features, her large, round, olive eyes, and her silky, brown hair. His feminine frame is purely by chance--or luck, as his troupe might call it. Puberty has been kind to young Yun-Uk, though some might argue that he just has yet to hit that stage of life. Some think he might never reach it, and his troupe hopes he never does.
Long brown hair falls far past his waist, inching toward the ground. His hair grows faster than one would think, and he must have it trimmed once a month if he doesn't want to drag his hair on the ground. He isn't allowed to cut his hair by himself. His troupe fears he will cut it too short, so they do it for him. In order to keep his hair from bothering him too much, he is often seen with his hair back in a ponytail or a bun. On some occasions, he will only bind the front portions of his hair with ribbon, usually white, yellow/gold, or green depending on whichever he grabs first. The rest is left to hang behind him. When he is performing on stage, his hair is styled to match the social glass of the woman he is portraying. This said, he usually gets migraines by the end of a performance when he has to deal with the extravagant headdresses worn by royalty.
His clothing varies from day to day. His troupe wants him to keep up the feminine appearance since anyone who actively follows their troupe thinks that Yun-Uk is a woman. Most of this clothes that he is allowed outdoors in consist of various more traditional clothing for different social classes (most of them being his costumes): chima, jeogori, wonsam, and even hwarot. The materials have a wide range of textures and colors, usually sticking with various shades of green and yellow, though he has a few that have red, purple, blue, and orange.
Yun-Uk is a graceful man--or woman in most cases. He walks with dignity, with his head held high, and with an air of confidence. None of it is real. This has been trained into him. If he even dares to slouch his shoulders, he can expect some sort of punishment either right then and there or much later when no one is around. He covers up bruises with heavy makeup or, depending on the location, his clothing. He has small scars where none should be able to see. Blisters are common on his feet from shoes that are possibly too small. The best time of the day is when he can take off all of his clothing, his makeup, and his shoes in order to relax, catching up on whatever sleep he can.
face claim: fuuchouin kazuki | getbackers
Long brown hair falls far past his waist, inching toward the ground. His hair grows faster than one would think, and he must have it trimmed once a month if he doesn't want to drag his hair on the ground. He isn't allowed to cut his hair by himself. His troupe fears he will cut it too short, so they do it for him. In order to keep his hair from bothering him too much, he is often seen with his hair back in a ponytail or a bun. On some occasions, he will only bind the front portions of his hair with ribbon, usually white, yellow/gold, or green depending on whichever he grabs first. The rest is left to hang behind him. When he is performing on stage, his hair is styled to match the social glass of the woman he is portraying. This said, he usually gets migraines by the end of a performance when he has to deal with the extravagant headdresses worn by royalty.
His clothing varies from day to day. His troupe wants him to keep up the feminine appearance since anyone who actively follows their troupe thinks that Yun-Uk is a woman. Most of this clothes that he is allowed outdoors in consist of various more traditional clothing for different social classes (most of them being his costumes): chima, jeogori, wonsam, and even hwarot. The materials have a wide range of textures and colors, usually sticking with various shades of green and yellow, though he has a few that have red, purple, blue, and orange.
Yun-Uk is a graceful man--or woman in most cases. He walks with dignity, with his head held high, and with an air of confidence. None of it is real. This has been trained into him. If he even dares to slouch his shoulders, he can expect some sort of punishment either right then and there or much later when no one is around. He covers up bruises with heavy makeup or, depending on the location, his clothing. He has small scars where none should be able to see. Blisters are common on his feet from shoes that are possibly too small. The best time of the day is when he can take off all of his clothing, his makeup, and his shoes in order to relax, catching up on whatever sleep he can.
face claim: fuuchouin kazuki | getbackers
◉ equipment
Yun-Uk has a wide variety of costumes that go up the social ladder. Most of them are only worn for performances, though some of them are allowed to be worn outside of the theatre. Yun-Uk can often be found toting around instruments he has borrowed from the theatre, usually some sort of liuqin, ruan, or guzheng. He also carriers around a small pouch that is hidden somewhere in his clothing. The pouch often carries change and a sweet or two.
combat skills ◉
Yun-Uk is definitely not a fighter nor a bender. He wasn't gifted with any sort of talents that involve fighting, and he has never had to put up with stage fighting during performances (considering he is often a damsel in distress). If he ever actually had to, he would just end up throwing anything within arm's reach or his shoes. Nothing is safe, especially with his horrible aim.
◉ talents
Yun-Uk has been trained since he was little to be a performer. His primary talent is that of song. His voice has been properly trained well enough that, even at seventeen, he can still be considered a soprano. His range includes tenor, alto, and soprano, though he should never try to sing bass just yet. He sounds like a dying frog. Other than notes as low as that, his voice is soft and smooth. He spends hours each day trying to capture the emotion of a song. He doesn't necessarily have to sing to do this, just go over the words in his mind under he has his own interpretation of the song. Singing is one of the only talents that were forced upon him that he truly enjoys, and it would tear him up inside if he could never sing again.
Acting is another skill he is well-versed in, though his acting is a little too focused on female characters. After all, that is all the troupe will allow he to play, and he would not make the best male soldier in the world, especially not with his voice. Playing the damsel in distress is too easy for him, and it is the more complex roles that he is given that he finds himself enjoying the most. He has a habit of diving deeper and deeper into a character until he has created the perfect 'mask' for them. He is a method actor by nature, and this ties in with his singing more than anything else.
Other than acting and singing, he has been taught to play a few different instruments. They are the more common stringed instruments found in Ba Sing Se, and he usually only plays them when he is singing.
Never ask him to dance.
He will step on your feet.
Acting is another skill he is well-versed in, though his acting is a little too focused on female characters. After all, that is all the troupe will allow he to play, and he would not make the best male soldier in the world, especially not with his voice. Playing the damsel in distress is too easy for him, and it is the more complex roles that he is given that he finds himself enjoying the most. He has a habit of diving deeper and deeper into a character until he has created the perfect 'mask' for them. He is a method actor by nature, and this ties in with his singing more than anything else.
Other than acting and singing, he has been taught to play a few different instruments. They are the more common stringed instruments found in Ba Sing Se, and he usually only plays them when he is singing.
Never ask him to dance.
He will step on your feet.
Flaws ◉
Fire has never been something that Yun-Uk was particularly fond of. He understands the good provided by fire--warmth, renewal, cooking, etc.--but there is something that keeps him from appreciating the element. Why? Yun-Uk is terrified of fire. The mere sight of it is enough to still his movements. The rest of the world disappears around him as he becomes completely focused on even the smallest of flames. An old world replaces the one lost, unseen to all yet in clarity for Yun-Uk. The sight of a flickering flame, the sound of its crackle, even the faint smell of smoke is enough to trigger his fear of fire. It takes him back to his childhood, and his body is overtaken with conflicting emotions and desires that play no true part in the present time: the desire to flee and never look back and the desire to run into the now-cold arms of the departed. This fear paralyzes him. He begins to break out in a cold sweat, any color leaves his features, his heart rate increases, sometimes makes him throw up, and, quite often, he will pass out if he cannot be calmed.
Despite his abilities in the art of song and theatre, he has a horrible time at not overworking himself. He has a tendency to push himself past the breaking point, and there are days where he will skip meals because he is preparing for an oncoming performance. He has to be strictly monitored or else he might pass out from exhaustion. This often causes him to catch colds that put him out of business for a couple of days.
Despite his abilities in the art of song and theatre, he has a horrible time at not overworking himself. He has a tendency to push himself past the breaking point, and there are days where he will skip meals because he is preparing for an oncoming performance. He has to be strictly monitored or else he might pass out from exhaustion. This often causes him to catch colds that put him out of business for a couple of days.
◉ personality
Yun-Uk is far more disciplined than his age would suggest. He has gone through punishment for even the smallest of mishaps, and it has trained him to be careful with what he does. Always follow the orders of others, even if you do not agree with them. Never speak unless spoken to or else you might get a lashing. Walk with dignity and grace, and never slouch. Bow your head when a man crosses your path. Be a damsel in distress rather than a rowdy warrior. Be polite to others. Do not fidget. Lesson upon lesson has been hammered into his very being to the point where he will follow them without even thinking. Most of these lessons were to train him to be a proper young lady by his grandmother, and the rest came when his troupe wanted him to keep up that image. He has never been given the time to be an actual man, and he doubts that he will ever be given the chance.
It is rare to see Yun-Uk actively conversing with anyone other than Jajeong. He keeps his sentences short and to the point when he has to speak with anyone else in the troupe, not wanting to waste any of their time or accidentally say something he shouldn't. Yet, when he is alone with his dearest feline companion, he could write books with the words that flow from his mouth. The moment he hears the footsteps of someone, however, he clams up once more. He keeps a reserved air around him, putting up metaphorical walls so no one can grow near him. He doesn't let anyone in, not wanting to grow close to other humans. He has seen the darkness within the hearts of the people of his kingdom, and he does not want to lose anyone who he might come to care for again. He also doesn't want to be disappointed, just like he was with his grandmother and with the theatre troupe. They have given him a deep distrust in the human race, and it can be hard for him to actually say that he trusts someone even the slightest bit. He would definitely never lay his life in the hands of another.
His loyalty is probably the only reason why he has remained with the theatre troupe. Or, perhaps, it is because he feels that, if he leaves them now, they will go back to being that poor, rundown theatre in the lower ring. He likes being able to see the happiness that their current situation brings them. He doesn't want to take that away from them or anyone else. So, he bears through the pressure placed on his shoulders. After all, by being with the theatre troupe, he is able to do what he loves: sing and act. He even gets paid for it, even if most of his share is taken by the troupe's leader.
It is rare to see Yun-Uk actively conversing with anyone other than Jajeong. He keeps his sentences short and to the point when he has to speak with anyone else in the troupe, not wanting to waste any of their time or accidentally say something he shouldn't. Yet, when he is alone with his dearest feline companion, he could write books with the words that flow from his mouth. The moment he hears the footsteps of someone, however, he clams up once more. He keeps a reserved air around him, putting up metaphorical walls so no one can grow near him. He doesn't let anyone in, not wanting to grow close to other humans. He has seen the darkness within the hearts of the people of his kingdom, and he does not want to lose anyone who he might come to care for again. He also doesn't want to be disappointed, just like he was with his grandmother and with the theatre troupe. They have given him a deep distrust in the human race, and it can be hard for him to actually say that he trusts someone even the slightest bit. He would definitely never lay his life in the hands of another.
His loyalty is probably the only reason why he has remained with the theatre troupe. Or, perhaps, it is because he feels that, if he leaves them now, they will go back to being that poor, rundown theatre in the lower ring. He likes being able to see the happiness that their current situation brings them. He doesn't want to take that away from them or anyone else. So, he bears through the pressure placed on his shoulders. After all, by being with the theatre troupe, he is able to do what he loves: sing and act. He even gets paid for it, even if most of his share is taken by the troupe's leader.
history ◉
Yi Yun-Uk was born to a poor couple in a large town surrounded by mountains, Gaoling. His father was raised in a farming community not too far from Gaoling, and he moved into the town in order to find better work to help support his aging parents, leaving his many brothers behind to help with the farm. It was in Gaoling that he met a beautiful woman visiting from Ba Sing Se. The two quickly fell in love, though the family of the woman despised their relationship. They forbade the woman from ever seeing the man again, but the woman went against her family's orders so she could be with her 'true love'. Of course, it was only after her family left after a huge fuss that she found out her dearest was dirt poor. She was willing to make ends meet, though, and without having to rely on the financial aid of her family.
Not even a year after the two got together, a beautiful baby boy was born. He was premature, though. They had been told he would be born on the first day of Spring, but he arrived a few weeks earlier during the winter. His father was worried it might be a bad omen, but his mother was more worried about keeping their child fed rather than any sort of superstitions. She fussed over her darling little boy day and night, wanting to be with him through every little moment that could potentially turn into something great. She taught him how to walk and talk, and she was working on his reading skills when a large storm began to brew.
Lightning struck their building.
All the little toddler could remember about that day was the fire that surrounded him, the heat that threatened to blister his skin, and the large weight that pressed against him as his mother could do nothing but cover him with her own body in an attempt to protect her baby. When help arrived, his mother was already dead, the outer 'shell' she had created around her son completely charred. Yun-Uk was able to remain relatively unscathed, minus a few more minor burns from the heat alone. He soon learned that his father had perished in the fire as well as the roof had collapsed on top of him.
Little Yun-Uk was cared for by one of the women in their neighborhood until an elderly woman arrived at the door. She introduced herself as his grandmother, and she was there to take him back to Ba Sing Se to be with family. The woman caring for him couldn't say no, especially since the supposed grandmother was already dragging the toddler away. Yun-Uk didn't seem to mind too much, though he had been rather quiet and closed off since the fire. He didn't say a word during the trip to Ba Sing Se, instead staring out at the world as it passed. His grandmother had a lot of work on her plate if she intended on raising the boy, though she seemed to have plans other than raising him as an actual family member. Despite how much he looked like his mother, she could only see the man who took her daughter away from her.
He was taken to a large building in the upper ring of Ba Sing Se, their supposed home. It was there that he was thoroughly bathed by two of the servants, and his grandmother even went as far as to tell them to bleach his skin to get rid of the darker tone of the lower class. He was not allowed to have his hair short, and he was forced to grow it out to the point where he would have headaches from the weight of the hair. Throughout his time with his grandmother, she treated him more like property than a human being. He was only to speak when spoken to. He was to do whatever his grandmother wanted him to. He was only able to call his grandmother mistress or madam, especially when in the presence of others. When his grandmother had heard the boy softly singing a lullaby to himself, one his mother used to sing until he fell asleep, she slightly changed her approach towards raising the boy.
Tutors arrived at the house, and Yun-Uk was taught in the art of song. They improved his voice, telling him how he should sing, teaching him how to read sheet music, and even teaching him how to play a small selection of stringed instruments under the request of his grandmother. He continued this tutoring for many years, and his grandmother threw in acting classes when he was around seven. His days were filled with music and plays, and he was able to momentarily forget just what his grandmother thought of him.
Around the age of nine, she grew stricter and stricter with the young boy. She began pestering him about his posture. Chin up, shoulders back, spine straight--don't slouch, boy! She would carry around some sort of thin pole, and she would poke, prod, and often whip any area of his body he needed to fix the posture of. This continued until he was twelve. What happened then? The family money started to run dry. Apparently, she was living off a limited amount of funding, just enough to keep the elderly woman going for the rest of her days, though she had wasted most of it on tutors for the boy. Her solution was not an honorable one.
His grandmother took him down to the lower ring of Ba Sing Se, and it was there that she sold the young boy off. She used his looks and talents as a way to get more money out of the people, claiming that he would be able to quadruple what they had given her, that he was an investment. There was more truth to her words than even she would have believed at the time. The group of people who bought him were quick to put him to work. They started out having him stand on the street corners, singing in hopes that someone would toss aside some change. At least, that was what they had told Yun-Uk. He was really just a distraction while they went about the crowds that gathered, stealing whatever they could from their pockets.
It was around this time that Yun-Uk found a lone Pygmy Puma cub huddled in a heap of garbage. Naive little Yun-Uk thought the feline was a normal kitten, so he acted without much thought when he picked the cub up by the scruff of the neck and began coddling the scrap of fur. He received a few scratches as the cub lashed out, clearly startled, but the puma grew more content as he continued stroking its fur. It took him a while to convince his 'owners' to let him keep the puma, but the cub was too attached to him already that it would somehow always find Yun-Uk, even after they tried moving it to a completely different area.
A year slowly passed by as the little group continued on with the schemes while Yun-Uk was more or less oblivious to what he was being used for. They had to move their 'base of operations' several times, and no one would give Yun-Uk a solid answer as to why. It was during one of their moves that Yun-Uk and Jajeong, the puma cub who had grown rather large over the past year, became separated from the group. They wandered around the lower ring, trying to figure out where they were and where to go when they stumbled upon a small, aging building marked theatre. Curious, the pair slipped inside, sneaking into the last row of seats to watch the people practicing on stage. He stayed there for two hours before he was finally noticed. Or, rather, until Jajeong had grown bored of watching humans and decided to entertain himself, thus drawing attention to where they were.
What followed was a huge ruckus as various girls and women rushed up to him, fussing over his hair and his skin. He hadn't properly bathed since his grandmother 'dropped him off' in the lower ring. His hair was a mess, and his skin had darkened once more from the dirt. While the men looked on, the women dragged him backstage where they drew a few buckets of water and instantly began scrubbing him down. They were amazed to find out that he was a boy, but they were more amazed that he looked the way he did. After dressing him back up, the leader of their acting troupe began to question the young boy. He gave them all the information he could, such as his name, age, where is parents were, etc. With a sigh, the leader allowed Yun-Uk to stay and watch their rehearsal for a little while more.
He seemed more interested in being on stage than watching it from afar. One of the stagehands noticed this, and they motioned for him to sneak backstage once more. He left Jajeong to sleep in the chair while he was away. The stagehand handed him a script, pointing to one of the lines. Can ya act, kid? Ming's out sick, an' we need someone t' read. Hesitantly, he took the script, slipping on stage where the other actors and actresses were waiting. They continued on with their scene, pausing when it came time for Yun-Uk to read the line. They were expecting some weak and feeble, stuttered out as if he had never done anything of the sorts in his life. What they received, however, was a nearly perfect portrayal of the side character. He had been able to quickly piece together a makeshift persona just by what the stagehand had told him about the character and the current scene.
They were in awe.
Yun-Uk ended up staying with the troupe for the next couple of days. When he received no word or sign from the other group, he asked if he could stay with the troupe. Some of them were hesitant, though others were quick to say yes. They started off seeming like angels on earth, acting much nicer than anyone else had been to him in the past couple of years. This was only while he was still new. As they started putting him in more and more performances, their ratings began to go up as well. More people came to their performances, and they soon had enough money to get a place in the middle ring of Ba Sing Se. It was then that they started acting harsher toward him. He started getting better roles in the plays, but that did not stop them from punishing him if he did one step wrong. He had an image to uphold, they said. He couldn't go around looking like something the Pygmy Puma dragged in.
He started to feel like he was with his grandmother all over again.
As the troupe grew in popularity, they began traveling around the Earth Kingdom whenever someone requested for them to perform. They went to various venues around the kingdom, going to places Yun-Uk had only heard about. He always wanted to explore, have some vacation time, but the troupe never let him. It was work, work, and more work with them. He hated it, but he wouldn't dare go against their wishes. The only days he ever seemed to get some sort of time off would be on his birthday, but that usually only had a few hours freed before he was forced to work once more. Even at seventeen, he still puts up with this. He loves the world of theatre, even if it didn't seem to love him in the same way.
Not even a year after the two got together, a beautiful baby boy was born. He was premature, though. They had been told he would be born on the first day of Spring, but he arrived a few weeks earlier during the winter. His father was worried it might be a bad omen, but his mother was more worried about keeping their child fed rather than any sort of superstitions. She fussed over her darling little boy day and night, wanting to be with him through every little moment that could potentially turn into something great. She taught him how to walk and talk, and she was working on his reading skills when a large storm began to brew.
Lightning struck their building.
All the little toddler could remember about that day was the fire that surrounded him, the heat that threatened to blister his skin, and the large weight that pressed against him as his mother could do nothing but cover him with her own body in an attempt to protect her baby. When help arrived, his mother was already dead, the outer 'shell' she had created around her son completely charred. Yun-Uk was able to remain relatively unscathed, minus a few more minor burns from the heat alone. He soon learned that his father had perished in the fire as well as the roof had collapsed on top of him.
Little Yun-Uk was cared for by one of the women in their neighborhood until an elderly woman arrived at the door. She introduced herself as his grandmother, and she was there to take him back to Ba Sing Se to be with family. The woman caring for him couldn't say no, especially since the supposed grandmother was already dragging the toddler away. Yun-Uk didn't seem to mind too much, though he had been rather quiet and closed off since the fire. He didn't say a word during the trip to Ba Sing Se, instead staring out at the world as it passed. His grandmother had a lot of work on her plate if she intended on raising the boy, though she seemed to have plans other than raising him as an actual family member. Despite how much he looked like his mother, she could only see the man who took her daughter away from her.
He was taken to a large building in the upper ring of Ba Sing Se, their supposed home. It was there that he was thoroughly bathed by two of the servants, and his grandmother even went as far as to tell them to bleach his skin to get rid of the darker tone of the lower class. He was not allowed to have his hair short, and he was forced to grow it out to the point where he would have headaches from the weight of the hair. Throughout his time with his grandmother, she treated him more like property than a human being. He was only to speak when spoken to. He was to do whatever his grandmother wanted him to. He was only able to call his grandmother mistress or madam, especially when in the presence of others. When his grandmother had heard the boy softly singing a lullaby to himself, one his mother used to sing until he fell asleep, she slightly changed her approach towards raising the boy.
Tutors arrived at the house, and Yun-Uk was taught in the art of song. They improved his voice, telling him how he should sing, teaching him how to read sheet music, and even teaching him how to play a small selection of stringed instruments under the request of his grandmother. He continued this tutoring for many years, and his grandmother threw in acting classes when he was around seven. His days were filled with music and plays, and he was able to momentarily forget just what his grandmother thought of him.
Around the age of nine, she grew stricter and stricter with the young boy. She began pestering him about his posture. Chin up, shoulders back, spine straight--don't slouch, boy! She would carry around some sort of thin pole, and she would poke, prod, and often whip any area of his body he needed to fix the posture of. This continued until he was twelve. What happened then? The family money started to run dry. Apparently, she was living off a limited amount of funding, just enough to keep the elderly woman going for the rest of her days, though she had wasted most of it on tutors for the boy. Her solution was not an honorable one.
His grandmother took him down to the lower ring of Ba Sing Se, and it was there that she sold the young boy off. She used his looks and talents as a way to get more money out of the people, claiming that he would be able to quadruple what they had given her, that he was an investment. There was more truth to her words than even she would have believed at the time. The group of people who bought him were quick to put him to work. They started out having him stand on the street corners, singing in hopes that someone would toss aside some change. At least, that was what they had told Yun-Uk. He was really just a distraction while they went about the crowds that gathered, stealing whatever they could from their pockets.
It was around this time that Yun-Uk found a lone Pygmy Puma cub huddled in a heap of garbage. Naive little Yun-Uk thought the feline was a normal kitten, so he acted without much thought when he picked the cub up by the scruff of the neck and began coddling the scrap of fur. He received a few scratches as the cub lashed out, clearly startled, but the puma grew more content as he continued stroking its fur. It took him a while to convince his 'owners' to let him keep the puma, but the cub was too attached to him already that it would somehow always find Yun-Uk, even after they tried moving it to a completely different area.
A year slowly passed by as the little group continued on with the schemes while Yun-Uk was more or less oblivious to what he was being used for. They had to move their 'base of operations' several times, and no one would give Yun-Uk a solid answer as to why. It was during one of their moves that Yun-Uk and Jajeong, the puma cub who had grown rather large over the past year, became separated from the group. They wandered around the lower ring, trying to figure out where they were and where to go when they stumbled upon a small, aging building marked theatre. Curious, the pair slipped inside, sneaking into the last row of seats to watch the people practicing on stage. He stayed there for two hours before he was finally noticed. Or, rather, until Jajeong had grown bored of watching humans and decided to entertain himself, thus drawing attention to where they were.
What followed was a huge ruckus as various girls and women rushed up to him, fussing over his hair and his skin. He hadn't properly bathed since his grandmother 'dropped him off' in the lower ring. His hair was a mess, and his skin had darkened once more from the dirt. While the men looked on, the women dragged him backstage where they drew a few buckets of water and instantly began scrubbing him down. They were amazed to find out that he was a boy, but they were more amazed that he looked the way he did. After dressing him back up, the leader of their acting troupe began to question the young boy. He gave them all the information he could, such as his name, age, where is parents were, etc. With a sigh, the leader allowed Yun-Uk to stay and watch their rehearsal for a little while more.
He seemed more interested in being on stage than watching it from afar. One of the stagehands noticed this, and they motioned for him to sneak backstage once more. He left Jajeong to sleep in the chair while he was away. The stagehand handed him a script, pointing to one of the lines. Can ya act, kid? Ming's out sick, an' we need someone t' read. Hesitantly, he took the script, slipping on stage where the other actors and actresses were waiting. They continued on with their scene, pausing when it came time for Yun-Uk to read the line. They were expecting some weak and feeble, stuttered out as if he had never done anything of the sorts in his life. What they received, however, was a nearly perfect portrayal of the side character. He had been able to quickly piece together a makeshift persona just by what the stagehand had told him about the character and the current scene.
They were in awe.
Yun-Uk ended up staying with the troupe for the next couple of days. When he received no word or sign from the other group, he asked if he could stay with the troupe. Some of them were hesitant, though others were quick to say yes. They started off seeming like angels on earth, acting much nicer than anyone else had been to him in the past couple of years. This was only while he was still new. As they started putting him in more and more performances, their ratings began to go up as well. More people came to their performances, and they soon had enough money to get a place in the middle ring of Ba Sing Se. It was then that they started acting harsher toward him. He started getting better roles in the plays, but that did not stop them from punishing him if he did one step wrong. He had an image to uphold, they said. He couldn't go around looking like something the Pygmy Puma dragged in.
He started to feel like he was with his grandmother all over again.
As the troupe grew in popularity, they began traveling around the Earth Kingdom whenever someone requested for them to perform. They went to various venues around the kingdom, going to places Yun-Uk had only heard about. He always wanted to explore, have some vacation time, but the troupe never let him. It was work, work, and more work with them. He hated it, but he wouldn't dare go against their wishes. The only days he ever seemed to get some sort of time off would be on his birthday, but that usually only had a few hours freed before he was forced to work once more. Even at seventeen, he still puts up with this. He loves the world of theatre, even if it didn't seem to love him in the same way.
◉ animal companion
A five-year-old Pygmy Puma is a strange creature to see as a pet. Fur as dark as the night, acidic green eyes that gleam in the moonlight, and large paws with sharp claws--they really were not meant to be pets. Yet, Yun-Uk went against all odds to raise his dear feline companion. He frequently grooms his fur, carefully trims his nails when the troupe beings to complain, and he dotes on the creature every moment he can. Named Jajeong (Midnight), this puma he been living with Yun-Uk since he was only a cub, picked up off the streets when he was found alone in the cold on the lower ring of Ba Sing Se by a younger Yun-Uk.
Jajeong is not a fully tamed feline. Well, Yun-Uk will claim otherwise, but that is only because Jajeong tends to act like a cuddly kitten in the presence of his human. Once Yun-Uk turns his back, though, Jajeong turns into a little troublemaker who turns deaf to the calls of others. There have been plenty of times when the troupe would chase him down, only to find him in another room, purring and rubbing up against Yun-Uk. Jajeong is very protective, borderline territorial, over Yun-Uk, and he is known to snarl at anyone who nears Yun-Uk while Jajeong is around.
Talents-wise, Jajeong is a skilled hunter in his own mind, because catching butterflies and pestering caged birds is definitely a true hunter. He is best at intimidation, though he never attacks anyone unless Yun-Uk is put at risk. Tracking is also something he has been working on, though, so far, he can only find shoes and undergarments.
Jajeong is not a fully tamed feline. Well, Yun-Uk will claim otherwise, but that is only because Jajeong tends to act like a cuddly kitten in the presence of his human. Once Yun-Uk turns his back, though, Jajeong turns into a little troublemaker who turns deaf to the calls of others. There have been plenty of times when the troupe would chase him down, only to find him in another room, purring and rubbing up against Yun-Uk. Jajeong is very protective, borderline territorial, over Yun-Uk, and he is known to snarl at anyone who nears Yun-Uk while Jajeong is around.
Talents-wise, Jajeong is a skilled hunter in his own mind, because catching butterflies and pestering caged birds is definitely a true hunter. He is best at intimidation, though he never attacks anyone unless Yun-Uk is put at risk. Tracking is also something he has been working on, though, so far, he can only find shoes and undergarments.