(no subject)

Work in progress
Personality

Shin is adamant that he doesn't have a home and prefers not to stay in places too long because he doesn't want to get attached or let others get attached to him. This is difficult because he does find himself forming friendships quickly which are soon reciprocated. Despite being friendly, he doesn't like talking about himself and thinks of himself as very underwhelming. He has a very low self-esteem and an overall poor opinion of himself, thinking he's rather unimportant and disappointing.

While he doesn't instantly trust everyone he first meets he tends to air on the side of friendliness as a guard until he knows a person. While very personable and easy to get along with, Shin can be very emotional and will easily become hot-headed in situations. He's very good at coming across as warm, which he is, but that's not to say he isn't keeping something hidden and safe behind that warm fire.

Shin is incredibly loyal to those he cares about and because of his own warped morals due to his upbringing, he'll usually do anything he's asked by the people he trusts. Really, Shin is a people pleaser and wants people to like having him around. More than anything he wants to have someone who'll always be with him, but his past experiences make him worried and skeptical for his own safety and theirs.

Deep down, Shin just wants to have fun. He wants to forget all the harshness in life and just experience the parts that make him feel good. And usually, he likes to get others to appreciate those moments too.

He is a Fire Nation Citizen and has grown up on these islands. Obviously, the War was started long before he was born and the beginning of his education was the same as that of other citizens, as such, he's been instilled with the idea that the Fire Nation should win the War and their side is right. Because of his lifestyle, he's pretty ignorant when it comes to the politics of the War and so has no real views on the reasons for it, however, because of his traveling, he's seen the effects the War has on everyone and is of the idea that it should end quickly. He does have a complicated view on soldiers, regardless of which side they're on, and prefers to judge them based on their actions as opposed to their ranks, this is a much more significant part of his character.

Backstory

Early Life
Shin was born to one of the Fire Nation's native islands. Although not particularly affluent, his parents were both in the Fire Nation Army which afforded them the basic luxuries of their era and the respect of their peers. Their home was decently sized, they had several home staff employed and they were appreciated within the community. His mother was well decorated and his father, while not high in rank, was well liked.

Childhood
Shin himself was a happy young boy who everyone seemed to get along with. A very adventurous and physical child, he was always exploring the marketplaces and surrounding landscapes of his home town. Though he could get lonely sometimes when his parents were deployed, his mothers influence meant the two were rarely gone at the same time and the always sociable Shin had many friends. He had a natural gift for firebending, which his parents were happy to let him expand by enrolling him in classes, and though he may have found it difficult to sit still, he did relatively well in school. It seemed clear the cheerful young boy was set to follow his parents lead in a military career.

And then, just like many families at the time, tragedy struck.

Whilst serving in the Siege of Ba Sing Se, Shin's mother lost her life. The hit was hard for them, they'd been a very close family. Shin's father knew it wouldn't be long before he didn't have the assets necessary to maintain their current lifestyle. They ended up selling the house and anything else they didn't need and moved to little village on a smaller island. It was a much smaller property and it was just the two of them now, save for a few komodo chickens and a hippo cow bought to alleviate any monetary or food concerns.

They did their best, but it became difficult as the Army wanted to place Shin's father back on the front lines. They were lenient at first and tried to be understanding in honor of his wife's memory, assigning him short posts in nearby villages, usually to do with recruiting, so he could return home to his still young son on evenings. But Shin still ended up having to stop attending school so that he could tend to the house and animals in his father's absence. The time apart was hard, nevertheless, Shin tried to maintain a cheerful demeanor. He missed his mother terribly but the bond with his father was still strong. The man did his best to shelter Shin from the troubling situation hanging over their heads and despite Shin not having his old friends, he still managed to have a relatively happy life with his father.

Over time though, the Army's sympathy dwindled and since he could not be deployed to more useful areas, as a final 'good will gesture' he was dismissed from their service. However, it wasn't an honorable discharge and the two of them had not built up the reputation they'd had back in their old community. So Shin and his father did their best to make a life out of the dwindling savings and make-shift 'farm' they had. Little Shin happily continued helping his father with the livestock and produce, still unaware of the instability of his life and the dark cloud that was still slowly circling overheard.

Some of the young soldiers stationed at the village for 'protection' held a certain amount of animosity towards Shin's father for the comfortable life he'd once had and liked to harass him about being a lower rank than his wife or about how far he'd fallen in life. Shin's father tried to keep his son out of it and refused to rise to their baiting.

One night, two of the soldiers got very drunk and jumped Shin's father on his way home from selling produce for 'a bit of fun'. As it got later, Shin went looking for his dad and found him being harassed by the two young men. Too drunk to stop themselves and irritated that once again the older man was refusing to engage with them, the men went to threaten young Shin.

A fight ensued and in the chaos, the soldiers used their weapons and firebending without remorse and Shin's father was killed, with Shin witnessing the whole scene.

Fearful Shin would tell someone, they tried to coax him into coming with them, but he fled home. Worried about the consequences, they dragged the body of Shin's father back to the house and tried to smoke Shin out, setting the whole building on fire with him and his fathers corpse in it.

Shin managed to escape but was chased by the soldiers into a nearby forest. He ran for what felt like forever, falling down slopes and cutting himself on branches until he lost his pursuers. Shin spent his first night as an orphan alone, in the rain, hurt and scared in the middle of the undergrowth, crying.

He drank from the stream water and tried to eat berries, but they made his stomach ill and he just ended up hungrier. Finally, he ended up wandering into a nearby town and lurked by the marketplace for scraps. He was lucky enough that some of the locals took a shine to the bright smile he flashed them when they gave him coins or bread. He was gifted with some offerings of food and shelter if he did odd jobs around the village and homes, but soon others who were not so kind took a disliking to the poor street child and began treating Shin badly. While it hadn't taken long for Shin to realize being on his own was dangerous, it also made him realize he could protect himself pretty well, especially if he used his firebending. But the constant harassment and fighting made him feel unwanted enough that he ended up leaving.

Growing Up
And for the first few years, that's how Shin made his way in life. Going from village to village, doing odd jobs here and there for money or food and making friends where he could. He never stayed long, because he never thought of any of these places as home. His home was far behind him and one day he'd go back. With no formal teachings, Shin only had a very basic grasp on reading and writing but he picked up practical arithmetic using the coins he earned. It was his people skills and charm that kept him alive. Well, that and his bending.

With no firebending teacher, Shin had to teach himself. All he knew were a few basic forms and breathing techniques, and so, Shin developed his own way of firebending, using the moves he picked up in street-side scuffles that relied more on being very physical. All these fights were turning Shin into a rather hot headed individual when pushed too far, and his fighting style began mirroring that temperament. Shin was known to rush head first into a fight and power through opponents coming his way, blasting through both their attacks and defense. It soon became apparent that Shin was capable to not only using incredibly hot flames, but also withstanding them. This allowed him to create his own techniques where he would coat his fists or limbs in fire whilst attacking.

As a young teenager, Shin considered joining the Fire Nation Army as he parents once had but had a lot of conflicted feelings. To resolve this, he returned to the village his father had died. He found the charred remains of their house and a few belongings, kept safe trapped under support beams and fallen walls.

Whilst walking the streets of the place he once considered home he encountered the two soldiers who's murdered his father. They were higher ranked now and panicked at seeing Shin. He was angry and rushed to confront them but they begged him to meet with them earlier the next morning. Seething inside, Shin held it together and agreed.

At the meet up, the men showed no remorse, but instead smug confidence that they'd gotten away for so long and that Shin had come back, allowing them to tie up the last loose end. They mocked Shin's mother, his father, and Shin for how he'd be ending up just like them. They taunted that it was better for him this way, there would be less shame and no one would believe him if he lived on spreading such a tale.

So they tried to kill him. And Shin took them down. He hit them and he burned them. He broke bones and seared flesh. They begged for mercy and kindness, pleaded they'd seen the error of their ways. And Shin set them alight beside a country road, where no one would ever remember their names.

Shin gathered up what he could find of his fathers remains and gave him an honorable cremation, then he took what mementos he could salvage and left that village behind forever.

Adolescence - Now
Ever since, Shin has returned to doing what's kept him alive this long. The teenager travels where ever he feels like, making friends with who he takes a shine to and fights those he doesn't. He never finds food or money especially hard to come by any more, he has his ways, and he's spent so much time looking after himself he'll lay his head down anywhere dry enough.

At this point, he's been to pretty much every part of the Fire Nation, he's even stowed away on boats and spent time in the Earth Kingdom Colonies, though he hasn't been to the Capital since he was a child with his parents. He's become very knowledgeable about his continent and the settlements dotted around the warm islands.

Shin isn't really involved in the latest news or politics, he catches bits of the latest gossip through the grapevines of the various places he visits and he's aware of big events, such as the Avatar's Return or the Fall of Ba Sing Se. But otherwise, it doesn't really concern him and he can be a little out of the loop.

He's perfectly content to continue traveling from place to place, seeing old friends or making new ones. Shin's always ready for where the road takes him next and he hopes it's an adventure.