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Personality:
Ryu prides himself on being a man of honor. He is kind and just, seeking the ideals of truth and peace within his life. He is a fiercely loyal friend, standing up for those he cares for in a heartbeat. He is smart and level headed, rarely losing his cool in any situation. However, when he is riled up, he is very passionate and outspoken. Though this is to a point, as he has an odd habit of being very polite, especially to adults. He is one to follow the rules, stepping out of line, especially for the wrong reasons, doesn't sit well with him. However, he is aware of when rules need to be bent and people need to be flexible. Ryu is kind and gentle in nature. He's not the type to pick a fight or enjoy them. He much rather deal with things through the use of communication and working it out peacefully.
However, he knows that not everyone will share this idea and that not all problems can simply be fixed with level heads. He does try to avoid confrontation, especially physical, as much as possible. If all else fails though, Ryu is cunning and calculating. He knows how to remain calm and to think things through, especially within a fight. He is able to keep his head, which allows him to get a better read on his opponents. Able to keep his adrenaline in check. He is the all around good guy type, the kind who will help a stranger or the little people. He is not arrogant or cocky though, very humble and modest in nature. He is often the one to brush off praise, while believing he can always do better or more for others. He is passionate about what he can do for the world, which leads him to push himself and take on a lot at once. Though he gains power or popularity, Ryu is not one to forget where he came from, tying back into his humble and modest nature.
He has a good sense of humor, despite his more business like demeanor. Ryu enjoys a good laugh and having fun, letting lose and relaxing. He knows the importance of allowing oneself to enjoy the pleasures of life, not forcing themselves to be all work. He can be very light hearted and fun when he wants to be, able to turn off work and school mode. On the flip side, he knows when it is time to get serious. He has a habit of getting in a zone, where he remains super focused and aimed at a target or goal. He is a hard worker, never giving up on a task till it is complete. He hates taking on things and only getting them half done or doing them half as well as he could. If he's going to do something, he's giving it his all. He is the type to believe also, if someone gives their word or makes a promise, they should honor that and see it through to the end. Thus, he tries to never go back on his word or break a promise. He's seen by most as the all around good guy. A model man many should strive to be, which puts at time a lot of pressure on him.
He is well aware of the expectations of others, carrying the weight of his family as well as more on his shoulders. While he might make it look effortless on the outside, he takes it very seriously on the inside. He is unsure of his future, as well as if he will ever be good enough and live up to the expectations of his father and family. Still, he continues to push through this fear, striving always to get better and stronger. He is a natural born leader, commanding respect and pushing others around himself to push themselves and get better as well. He's not one to abuse his power, but he is always ready to step in when needed, in order to help others or to calm a tense situation if he is able. He is very sensitive and aware of his surroundings most of the time. He feels at home most within nature, making him work well with his power. He cares a lot for every living creature, especially plant life. The natural life and beauty of the world around him is one of his favorite things.
Biography:
Ryu's family moved from China when he was seven. His parents wanted a fresh start for their family in a calm place. That place, ended up being Sunnydale. Ryu at first was cut off from the rest of the community. Being raised in China, he spoke no English at all. Back in china, his mother came from a powerful business family, she was the heiress to the company as well as the business. Of course, her brother came first being a male and the elder child. One thing his mother had that her brother didn't, was a son. This made Ryu the heir to the fortune and the business should he choose to pursue it in the future. His father was a man who had spent much of his time training within the Shaolin ways. To many, they were the ideal power family, so it did not make sense why they would leave China. Ryu's father used to tell him stories of how men found true power from the humblest of beginnings.
As such, he believed this to be his humble beginning. His chance to show the world who he was, while he earned his power and his name. Ryu was named for the Dragon, though a more Japanese originated name, it was meant to invoke a sense of honor and power within him. A strong name, one he vowed to live up to. So from there, he grew, studying hard to learn English. Over time, he got good at it, able to speak it fluidly though with trips back to China on holidays and such, he always maintained an accent tied to his culture. He became quite popular as he grew, due to his looks as well as his mind. Ryu studied to keep his perfect attendance records, as well as a perfect GPA. To him, it was a matter of honor. He didn't want to let his family down, especially his father. This left little time for socializing, which made him even more of an allure at times, being off limits.
Growing up, his father taught him some of the ways of the Shaolin. When he would go to China, he would at times visit with his father and study there as well. When he was thirteen, his father fell ill. By the age of fourteen, he was left with his mother. Losing his father was the hardest thing for him. His father was the head of their family, but he was also Ryu's rock and his mentor. A lot of what he did, he did for his father. Without him, he felt an empty place. Ryu dived into his school and work, pushing the world away. By sixteen though, he knew that wasn't the way he wanted to live the rest of his life. He wanted to continue honoring his father, he wanted to get better, but also discover who he was. That was just what he did. Ryu began to branch out. While he remained devoted to school and his teachings, he began to develop a social life as well as more contact within the clubs he worked with. This caused him to become quite a stand out force within the tiny school.
Magic Abilities:
Ryu has been given magic over the domain of plants. He has the abilities of creating plants from the earth around him, regenerating or rapidly growing existing plants, as well as animating and moving them to his will. He has a mix of telepathy and psychometry through the use of plants. He is able to touch them and speak with them, or gather information through them. He uses them as an extension of his eyes and ears, letting him be in places he's not physically in. He can also gain glimpses into the past from plant life that was present at the scene. He is able to change the genetic structure of plants, which can mutate them. This could be considered a darker power of his at times, since doing so could make them more aggressive or dangerous to others.
On the flip side, he is able to use this for good as well. He can use this ability to make make new species as well as cross them. He could use it to make a new fruit or something if he wanted, but he can also use it to create natural cures for various ailments. His power makes him immune to plant based toxins, meaning he's immune to poison ivy and oak, and can't get sick from poison berries or anything. His body naturally purifies the toxins of plants within his system. He is essentially able to control plants as he pleases, using them as an extension of himself in a fight. Creating whip or rope like vines, moving the trees, etc. He is optimal in a natural fight, using his surroundings to his advantage.
His power has a natural attraction to plant life. It responds to him, his emotions and his well being. In this way, the plant life around him will respond to his changes in state. It will attack or lash out at times at perceived threats, or move naturally to surround and protect him. He has to be wary of his control, especially around others. This works well with his teachings, which allow him to remain calm and centered for the most part. He also has the ability to camouflage himself well within plant life. This does not mean he can stand in an open field of grass and not be seen. Within areas of greater plant life, such as a forest, garden, bushes, etc, the plants actually mask his magic, harmonizing with him and blending in so that unless your directly looking for him or know he is there, it will really just look like plants. An extreme extent of this, is for him to literally merge himself into plant life, becoming one with it.
However, he runs the risk of losing himself within the plants if he is not careful. If he does, he risks becoming part of the plants himself, unable to break himself out of them when he needs to. His abilities with plants and changing their structure allows him to control other aspects of their physical presence to. He is able to sharpen the edges or points of plants to that of blades, or harden the surfaces of them for use of shields and such. He also has the ability to use plants for healing himself, due to his natural attraction to plants, their prone to bend or creep towards him in response to injury. Their able to lend their life force and energy to heal him quicker. Unfortunately, this drains it from them. This means the bigger the wound, the more energy needed, risking the lives of the plants in return. Essentially, if it has to do with plants, he's your guy.
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Let the
music of my soul be heard in the form of
I'll Make A Man Out Of You, for all eternity.