Zula

[Zula]

Zula Ou-Yong

25. Firebender.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

ALIAS(ES):

Zara: The name her father wanted her to have, but one her mother refused. Zula used this name when she delved into the underground and Triad life of Republic City in order to hide her identity as an ambassador.

Lady Ou-Yong: What most people call her in the Fire Nation. Zula hears this every day and responds to it just as quickly as she does her own name.

The Cinder: Zula's masked identity. Only a small inner circle know that it's her behind the mask, and she'd like to keep it that way.

BIRTHDAY: January 5th, 1900

BIRTHPLACE: Fire Nation Capital City

CURRENT: Republic City

FAMILY:

• Mother: Feena, aged 47: Fire Nation nobility, Firebender

• Father: Sota, would be 52: Northern Water Tribe, Council member: Deceased

• Sister: Zuka, aged 25: Firebender


Extended Family Father’s Side:

Grandmother: Hiko, aged 81: Northern Water Tribe, Waterbender, Healer

Uncle: Kesuk, aged 48: Northern Water Tribe


Extended Family Mother’s Side:

Great Grandfather: General Osamu - Firebender, Had been one of Fire Lord Ozais Generals - deceased

Grandfather: Ryuu, aged: 79, Firebender, Retired General

Grandmother: Aki aged: 74, Firebender, Noble

Uncle: Amal aged: 43, Firebender, Admiral in the Fire Nation Navy

Unnamed Cousin: 29

Unnamed Cousin: 22

Unnamed Cousin: 19


ALLIANCE: The Fire Nation, The Vigilantes

RANK: Fire Nation Ambassador

STATUS: Bender

POWER:

Firebending: Zula is a firebending master, and a pure prodigy. Thanks to her family’s nobility she was trained under the best benders that could be found, and proved to be a diligent and determined student. Bending came easily to her as a child, and she quickly climbed the skill ladder, moving on to difficult and even rare forms of bending. She fights with fierceness and deadly precision.

Lightning Generation: Zula spent many hours perfecting this form after mastering firebending, and picked it up fairly quickly. She is able to create lightning at will, and direct it with incredible accuracy.

Lightning Redirection: While Zula knows how to perform this technique, she’s only experienced it a handful of times. With lightning being a dangerous and potentially deadly if not handled correctly, Zula has redirected it only on a few occasions to prove that she knew how to use it.

Non-bending Martial Arts: Her mother had Zula begin learning this style of fighting before she discovered the ability to bend. Even after her firebending training began, Zula continued to be tutored in the art of non-bending fighting styles.

Weapons Training: Coming from a militaristic family background, Zula has been thoroughly trained in the use and functionality of old and modern weaponry. While she finds that she is able to wield most weapons and adapt to them, they aren’t her favorite method of fighting. Still, for her mother’s sake, she has become proficient in their use.

WEAPONRY:

Throwing Knives: Zula has these in her arsenal for when she's The Cinder. Though she isn't a fan of using weapons, her sister is adamant that she always have some sort of weapon on her should her bending fail. Zula has learned to accept the knives and has a sharp and exact aim.

Explosives: Not so much a weapon she uses on the daily, but it's her specialty on the team. 

BLOOD TYPE: O

ORIENTATION: Heterosexual

PET: N/A

SCARS AND MARKINGS: Zula has a few small scars from training over the years, but nothing that is very noticeable.

UNIFORM:

Work Attire: Zula dresses the part of a Fire Nation noblewoman, with not a hair out of place. She wears the latest fashions, which usually call for multiple layers, longer sleeves, and skirts of some sort. Her wardrobe consists mainly of different shades of red, gold, and black. This is the usual style she dresses in when she is at home, and when at the consulate. 

City Attire: Zula has learned to tone down her noble heritage when not at work. When out in the city she dresses more in their fashion, keeping the wealthy status to a minimum. 

The Cinder: Zula's uniform is a black and red ensemble. She wears a tunic that falls to her knees that is open on the sides, black pants, and long sleeves that drape open instead of clinging her her arms. She also wears a pair of black gloves. She has armor on her shoulders and over her boots that reflect the armor worn by old Fire Nation soldiers. Over her face she wears a black and red mask that resembles a fox.


DESCRIPTION: At first glance, Zula looks exactly like her twin sister; both having the unique mix of Water Tribe and Fire Nation features. She is the same height, standing at 5”6, with similar dark eyes. Zula also keeps her nails long and with a point, a feature of Fire Nation nobility.

Upon closer inspection, or spending enough time around her to know, there are subtle differences between the two. Zula’s hair is a couple shades darker, showing more of her Fire Nation heritage. She tends to wear it in a half up, half down style that is a clear indication of where she comes from. Zula doesn’t blatantly wear her emotions on her face, and always appears reserved and stoic. She has an air of higher standing around her that anyone with eyes could detect.

While Zula doesn’t look very threatening, actually appearing to be quite slim, under the clothes and makeup she is strong and capable body that has endured hours upon hours of training.


PLAY-BY: Summer Bishil

-------------------------------------------------------------------


Fear: Once Zula feared disappointing her mother, having worked hard to keep her mother happy. Now, she fears losing her sister to the war that's begun in the underground. She also fears that she will fail her teammates in some way.


Desire: Zula wants to continue living the life that she's chosen for herself rather than had planned for her, and completely pull herself away from what her mother wants. That is much easier said than done.

HABITS: When bored or uninterested Zula tends to look around in an aimless fashion to try and find something else to occupy her time.


PET PEEVE: Disrespect is something that Zula refuses to tolerate. She also cannot stand to be talked down to.



STRENGTHS:

• Extremely loyal

• Diplomatic

* Displays the ideal noblewoman

* Is able to keep a clear head in conflict


WEAKNESSES:

• Doesn’t handle emotions well

• Unable to express herself properly

* Has poor socialization skills

* Struggles to accept that she doesn't know everything


TRAITS: Zula is a very composed and proper person, having been basically bred to be the perfect noblewoman. She can be very dry and bleak, wearing a mostly blank expression most of the time. Everything she does seems to be done with purpose; the way she walks, eats, or simply looks around. Quiet and calm, Zula speaks when spoken to, unless she is in a position of authority. She masks her emotions, keeping them far below the surface. Few people can rile Zula to the point of expressing her emotions strongly, but those who do know that she doesn't hold back.

While before Zula didn't think much of her upper class attitude, she's tried to bring herself down in recent times. It's hard to juggle, but she tries to be less snobbish than how she was raised to be. Her upbringing has led her to expect everything to be perfect; this includes her surroundings and what is offered to her. She settles for nothing but the best, especially from herself, and is known to push her limits for the sake of being the epitome of successful.

Even if she may seem distant and without compassion, Zula does love her family. She does not outwardly express how she cares all that often, but little comments or actions that may seem odd are signs of her love for them.

-------------------------------------------------------------------



HISTORY:

THEN:

From the moment Zula was born, her whole life had been decided for her. Born to a family of Fire Nation nobility (her mother) and Water Tribe roots (her father), Zula’s unique heritage should have been a balance between the two. However, her mother had other ideas. Zula and her twin sister, Zuka, began their lives being named after the past two Firelords, much to their father’s dismay. Everything that should have been shared became overruled with Fire Nation glory.

For Zula, her mother’s influence took a strong hold. Feena was determined that her daughters would be proper noblewomen, and Zula always strived to please her. It was always hurtful if she realized she wasn’t good enough for her mother, which only pushed her from a young age to be quiet and obedient. It was this molding that pulled Zula away from her father and his attempts to integrate his own Water Tribe traditions on his daughter. Knowing it would upset her mother, Zula paid little attention to the teachings and focused on behaving.

Once Feena enrolled the girls into bending training, there was no escape from her intensity. Zula performed her best, even though neither her or Zuka had ever showed any sign of being able to bend. Zula knew just how badly her mother wanted her to be able to bend, and worried that if she wasn’t it would cause her mother a new reason to be disappointed in her. Luckily for Zula, she discovered her ability to bend during a training exercise, producing a plume of fire from her fist that overjoyed her parents.

So she was a firebender, and a firebender she would be. Zula dove headfirst into her training, giving it her all. Bending came easily to her, feeling as natural as walking. It was clear that she was a prodigy, flying through her forms and mastering them completely. Even her private tutors remarked that her abilities were extraordinary, and that she lived up to her namesake: Firelord Azula. For the young girl, there seemed to be no better compliment. If she was as skilled as a Firelord, then she had to be doing something right.

For Zuka, bending didn’t come naturally. In fact, Zula was deeply involved with her training while Zuka was still trying to produce fire. Zula knew that, to their mother, being a non-bender wasn’t exactly ideal, and Zula did try to offer Zuka advice. Seeing their mother upset only caused stress on everybody, and Zuka was becoming a skilled fighter with or without bending. It was that point that Zula tried to drive home to her sister, echoing little comments that she overheard her mother say that didn’t make the non-bending situation sound so bad.

But it was when Zuka discovered she was a waterbender that shattered the strained peace. In a way it was Zula’s fault; they had been arguing over who their mother loved most after a conversation took a terrible turn, but their mother’s reaction hadn’t helped either. While Zula had been shocked at seeing her sister waterbend, she hadn’t thought it was so bad until she saw the look on her mother’s face. Zula worried for her sister; the way her father rushed home and how their parents holed themselves up in a room, their arguing could be heard through the walls when Zula snuck by. It seemed like a horrible omen; Zula couldn’t recall a time where she’d ever heard her father yell the way he had then, or her mother be so distressed.

When it was decided that Zuka would be travelling with her father, and therefore leaving the Fire Nation, Zula was upset; Zuka was her other half and they had never been apart before. Zuka tried to convince Zula that she should come along, but Zula refused. How could she leave her mother behind? She would be so lonely all by herself. Besides, Zula had firebending training to continue and she had to do it in the Fire Nation with her tutors. Zula was a firebender, she knew, and that meant she belonged there, in her homeland.

Once Zuka was gone, it was just Zula, her mother, and her mother’s rules and teachings. There was no hope left for Zula to be anything but what her mother wanted. It was clear that Feena was still disappointed with Zuka, and Zula did her best to make her mother happy. She threw herself into training, managing to master firebending just after her thirteenth birthday. Likewise, Feena took the opportunity to instill in her daughter every high society teaching she knew. The young girl did not fight and obeyed her mother’s wishes, striving to please her. Zula became everything her mother wanted in the time that Zuka was gone, turning into a prim and proper teenager.

It was when Sota fell ill that everything seemed to fall into chaos. The news was not something Zula had expected, and when her father returned home she didn’t know how to handle it. With her emotions so masked and buried, Zula couldn’t figure out how to comfort her father, or her mother, who was constantly at odds with Zuka. Zula attempted to be the peacemaker, but the attempt quickly fell through as she realized there was no stopping the conflict between the mother and daughter. Zula felt like she had to try even harder to be perfect to please her mother, while also trying to be supportive of her father. The disconnect she had with her other parent made it all the more difficult, and Zula truly began to wonder if she knew her father, and if her father knew her. He and Zuka got along so easily, but with Zula it was like the two struggled to even speak at times with one another.

Right before the girls’ sixteenth birthday, Sota passed away. While the strain of his death was an impact enough, Zuka’s acting out only increased. Feena was a wreck, enraged and stressed with Zuka on top of losing her husband. Zula found herself shoving her grieving as far down as she could and attempting to calm her mother with her own obedient attitude.

When Zuka came to her and announced she was leaving and begging Zula to go with her, Zula felt the weight of the entire experience on her shoulders increase, along with some anger. Didn’t Zuka understand that she had to keep their mother happy? Feena was already dealing with enough, their family falling apart too quickly. Zuka should have been ashamed of her actions, and Zula let her sister know it. But she didn’t voice the pressure she felt, something that she assumed Zuka wouldn’t understand.

Refusing to run off with her sister, Zula remained in the Fire Nation. It was the last time she saw Zuka, and while it hurt to watch her go and know she was alone again Zula had a feeling it was for the best. While peace didn’t exactly return, there was no more fighting for the first time in about a year. Zula continued her education and training, becoming more knowledgeable in politics. As she grew older, Zula found herself directly involved in the political world, no doubt thanks to her own skills and her family status.

Eventually Zula began to travel along with some important Fire Nation political figures, getting a feel for how the world was outside her home. At the age of twenty, Zula became an ambassador for the Fire Nation, visiting different parts of the world on her own. While she had her mother’s approval, Zula now felt new pressures in her position, a new fear of failure. Still, if her mother could parade her around at parties and important events and introduce her as “My daughter, the Ambassador”, it seemed worth the stress. And Zula was not about to admit to anyone that she had doubts or worries.

Not long after gaining her status, Zula began to get in contact with Zuka again. She missed her sister, even if their relationship could be strained. They exchanged letters and phone calls, making sure that each was doing well and safe. Zula was scheduled to make a trip to Republic City, however right before she was to leave the Equalist Crisis took over. The Fire Nation then cancelled the meeting, deciding it was too dangerous with all the turmoil in the city, and until the threat was taken care of Zula was to remain home.

It was through her position that Zula met often with a young general. Not just any general, but General Iroh II, also known as the Firelord’s son. As children the twins were often guests at the royal palace, they knew each other fairly well.  Feena had always wanted one of her daughters to be married to Firelord Izumi’s son, and when Feena found out that the two were interacting, she pounced at the opportunity, making Zula the candidate. The young woman found herself constantly presented to Iroh, her mother’s determined ways making the arrangements possible. Zula and Iroh’s interactions became more frequent, and though Zula wasn’t sure if she liked the idea of being married to the Firelord’s son, it was her duty as a Fire Nation citizen to consent if that was what would happen. That, and it would make her mother happy. Somehow, that was what truly mattered.


NOW:

With Republic City finally settled down, Zula made her trip there and met with Zuka, where they reunited after five years apart. At first things went well, Zula trying her best to keep the peace between them. However, it didn't last.  Zula began to pick up on things she noticed, even if Zuka would quickly change the conversation. After nearly getting into a fight with the Agni Kai leader, Han, Zula quickly discovered her sister was involved in much more of the city's dark side than she imagined. Although Zuka wouldn't tell her any details, Zula knew enough to be angry. The sisters were once again at odds with one another, unable to reconcile their differences.

Zula continued in the city, fulfilling her role as an ambassador and working at the consulate. As she worked within the city she became familiar with the Triads and learned more about them. She also read the papers, and that was how she found out about The Ghost and The Talon. Zula didn't pay them too much attention, but she read the stories from time to time just out of curiosity. They were a fleeting interest, however, and Zula had more important things to attend to rather than be caught up in the drama of these alleged 'spirits' running around the city.

Life continued in a relatively undisturbed pattern for Zula. She did her part as the Fire Nation's ambassador, proving her capabilities despite her young age. Zuka informed her that she would be taking a trip to the Northern Water Tribe and left the city. Zula wasn't bothered by this nor did she ask questions; Zuka was close with that side of their family and so Zula didn't think it would be odd for her sister to go and visit. While she was gone Zula kept busy with her career. Once Zuka returned she visited with her sister, even if their relationship remained tense.

Then, the unexpected hit.  Out of nowhere she received the news: Zuka was dead. Zula didn't believe it at first, but once the shock wore off the sorrow took over. Zula was filled with questions: how could this happen? What had Zuka gotten herself into? But no one had answers for her. Zula had no choice but to return home and give her mother the news. She called off all of her work in Republic City and returned to the Fire Nation, where she stood by her mother to help her grieve. 

Things didn't go according to plan. Feena, in her grief, let Zula in on a secret she'd kept from the girls. When Feena was younger, she'd been a free spirit, defying the rules and exploring the world, exactly like Zuka. The only way she'd been allowed to marry their father was if her children followed every noble tradition to the letter. Instead of this explanation giving Zula closure, it enraged her more than ever. Her mother had pit her and Zuka against each other, when she could have just told them the truth in the first place. All of the fighting, all the wasted opportunities; none of it had to happen. Zula felt as though her whole life had been a lie, and everything she'd done, all the effort she put into being the perfect noblewoman and daughter, had been for nothing.

Zula left the Fire Nation after that, putting distance between herself and her mother. She returned to Republic City and quickly set herself in the position to be the permanent ambassador for Republic City and the Fire Nation, that way Feena couldn't attempt to drag her back home. Once that was set, Zula threw herself into her work, filling her days with meeting after meeting, making sure all of her free time was filled with her career from dawn until dusk. In this way, Zula ignored the grief she felt at having lost everything important to her.

Eventually, work slowed. Zula had no more distraction, and sunk into the grief she felt. Seeking a distraction, Zula found herself heading to the triad bars. She tried to intervene with the Agni Kais when she saw them attacking some citizens, except quickly found herself beaten instead. Frustrated and angry that she, a master firebender, had just been beaten by thugs, drove Zula to find a way to make sure it wouldn't happen again. After all, her whole life and her whole person had just been one huge lie. Zula wasn't sure who she was anymore, and while still trying to manage her grief and navigate through all the loss and anger she felt, she needed a way to cope.

Zula wanted to ditch the safety net she'd had her whole life. She wanted everyone to stop telling her what to do and allow her to make decisions for herself. And so, with no family around to give her orders, she did just that. Zula made her way to the illegal fighting rings, going at first just to watch the matches. Then, she decided the only way she'd become a better fighter was to get into the rings herself. Zula had never really been in a real fight, and even though she'd mastered firebending, she didn't have the experience of playing dirty and not following a code. The next thing she knew, she'd thrown herself into the rings. At first took on those who were easy to beat in order to get herself noticed. It was then that people were asking for her name, and in order to hide her identity, she gave them the name Zara.

It became a routine for her to sleep and do her work during the day, and then head to the rings at night. Zula found herself beaten over and over again, returning to the bars and her home battered and bruised. She knew she could be killed in the ring, but it didn't stop her. She kept going, kept losing in the ring, dragging herself away, until one night when she ran into an old enemy: Han. While she tried to escape talking to him, he followed her to the Full Moon Bar, where he told her that if she wanted to see the real darkness of the city, his triad could show it to her. No one, not her mother, not her sister, would be there to shield her. 

At first, Zula was completely opposed to the idea. To go with Han, who had done terrible things to Zuka in the past, would be the ultimate betrayal. Zula hated Han, more than she'd ever disliked anyone in her life, and so letting him play whatever game he wanted didn't sound appealing either. But Zula knew that she needed what he could provide. Everyone had kept her shielded, hadn't let her see the truth, and while Han was many things, she knew he'd show her just how dark Republic City really was, and he'd let her put herself in danger. With that goal in mind, she went to work with the Kais.

Han showed her everything, allowed Zula to run with the remains of his Triad under her street name. Zula had the chance to see every side of Republic City that she wished, even if she did have to work for the Kais. They were as unpleasant as she expected, but Zula held out, determined to use the opportunity before she figured out a way to get out of it. She knew Han was using her for some sort of goal, but she didn't care as long as she got what she wanted out of it. As she played up the role of being a broken, lost sister following his every lead, Zula plotted her way out and what she could hold above his head.

Her exit came sooner than expected, and not in the way she'd planned. One night Zula got into a fight with some of the old Terras, and quickly found herself out numbered and about to be taken out. That was when a girl stepped in to help her, calling Zula by her real name. In the confusion Zula allowed the girl to lead her away and to safety. She then found out the girl's name was Neva, and that she'd been friends with Zuka. Once she knew this she let Neva take her to her home, where the waterbender helped to heal her wounds. Over the course of the next few days, Zula revealed everything that had happened to Neva, and the girl told Zula that it was time to quit with the triads.

Zula agreed with her, and decided to stop. Neva helped her to get back on her feet, and eventually Zula pieced herself back together. Neva was a huge relief for her, someone who she could talk about Zuka to and have support where she never had it before. Zula's work picked back up again, and the string of meetings and social events helped to keep her occupied and further separate her from the Triads. 

One day, however, Han showed up furious to her home. He demanded she return to the the Kais and that she wasn't going to walk out on the Triad. Zula argued that she'd never been a part of the Kais to begin with, and that he had no hold over her. And, if he tried to blackmail her, no one would believe him. The argument turned into a full fledged fight in the streets, where Han attempted to strike Zula with lightning. Not about to be another one of his victims and wanting revenge for what he'd done to Zuka, Zula redirected the lightning and struck him with it instead, The lightning injured him and didn't take his life, but the fact that she'd done it was satisfying enough.

It was this moment when Zula realized that she had the power to do something out on the streets, and to handle her enemies in politics. The thought never left her, and soon enough she made a decision to put on a mask. She approached Neva with the idea and the girl refused it at first, revealing that Zuka had been the Talon and that it had brought her so much pain and hardship. But that didn't deter Zula in the slightest, and so Neva gave in and agreed to help. With her assistance, Zula acquired a mask and a suit to wear, and began her escapades.

It wasn't all that long before the papers gave her a name: The Cinder. Zula didn't really care what they called her, as long as no one knew it was her. She continued her day job, The Cinder her night activity. Everything seemed to be going well for the first time in a long time. Zula had a friend, she had her job, and she had the mask. She found a place that was for herself, something that she could say no one else had handed to her or planned for her to do. 

Then Zuka returned.

It came as a complete shock, and Zula was more furious than she'd ever been in her life. It took Zuka an effort to calm her down and for the sisters to talk. Once they did, they revealed everything to one another, and for the first time since they'd been young, there was no tension anymore. Zula told her sister she wasn't going to give up the mask, even if it was dangerous. Zuka couldn't talk her out of it, and so she left Republic City once more to go back into hiding. Zula did her best to at least keep The Cinder in check and not let it overtake her life, something Zuka had warned her about. 

Time passed, and then Zuka and Kenji returned to Republic City after being drawn from hiding. Not long after, her sister set a meeting up between her and Kenji, leaving them to deal with one another. Their personalities clashed, each holding strong opinions of the other person. Even though he didn't really want to, and didn't want The Cinder to continue, he offered to train Zula since he knew Zuka didn't want anything happening to her. They two of them started off rough, but eventually Zula got past most of it. Kenji taught her many tricks and important non-fighting aspects of the masked life, all valuable in not getting caught.

Meanwhile, Zuka fulfilled the role of teaching Zula to fight. She kept up the physical side of training and also forced Zula to use weapons, which the twin tried to avoid at all costs. Zuka was firm in her stance that Zula needed to have a weapon on her in case she couldn't bend. Through Zuka's training, Zula became a better fighter, cleaning up the errors she'd been making and learning all the important details that she hadn't gotten in the rings.

Now, Zula works as the official ambassador for the Fire Nation and Republic City. At night, she is The Cinder, fighting alongside The Ghost and The Talon in an attempt to bring down the Black Hand. Zula has thrown herself completely into the danger Zuka tried so hard to keep her out of, but Zula has no remorse. Now that she's seen just what goes on in this city, there is no way for her to turn back.


-------------------------------------------------------------------

NAME: Elle

EXPERIENCE: 5+ years

CONTACT: PM

HOW'D YOU FIND US? Good question



CHARACTERS: Neva, Arya


ANYTHING ELSE?

Zula is secretly jealous about Zuka’s relationship with their father. Sota loved Zuka the way she was and never wanted to change her, while Zula found herself under constant judgment and pressure from her mother.

While she's eliminated most ways that her mother could attempt to draw her back to her side, Zula suspects that Feena is still looking for a way to do so. The only way Zula imagines is left is for Feena to arrange an engagement for her, and Zula is hoping she doesn't have to see that letter arrive any time soon.

Code: Probending