shen jiu & expiation

[rikoren]

Player: Kes
Contact: rikoren
Age: 20+
Current Characters: n/a

Character Name: Shen Jiu
Character Canon: Scum Villain's Self-Saving System
Canon Point: Mid-reunion with Yue Qingyuan
Age: 16

Crime: Licentiousness

Background: Wiki

Personality: Shen Jiu was a tough and ruthless child, threatening murder when kids tried to steal his chosen begging corner, and laughing when he heard about someone he was at odds with getting hurt. He had no qualms with swindling strangers out of food or money, his interests focused more on survival than anything else. This isn't to say that he had no bottom line, or lacked any shame—he is shown stubbornly defending his space, people, and property, and it takes years of consistent abuse to make him snap. But the present Jiu has indeed snapped, and reaped the consequences of it - the impression he gives off these days is less like a feisty feral cat and more like an abused dog, seconds away from a fight-or-flight response at any given moment. His unfortunate upbringing has also led him to have a severe inferiority complex, and an easy tendency towards jealousy. He follows the belief that it's a dog-eat-dog world out there, and the less you care for others, the less you'll be hurt or weighed down. He's a masterful actor, well-versed in hiding his true feelings behind tears or a smile (whichever would be more beneficial), but - having been drowning in hopeless feelings for the past few years - those "true feelings" he's hiding are usually just something bordering on depression. Intelligent and talented though he is, his experiences have led him to be distrustful of most men, and his haphazard education has left him desperate for knowledge he doesn't dare hope to obtain.

That being said, this tragic mess of negative traits isn't the only existing aspect of his personality—it's just the aspect which gets the most publicity. Shen Jiu's ability to love is, in fact, as intense as his hate; he trusts implicitly in Yue Qi, accepts him for all his perceived faults, and dutifully waited for years for his Qi-ge to rescue him after he was bought by the Qiu family. When the rescue failed to happen, rather than blaming his brother, he started making up excuses for him; even after the destruction of their relationship years later, and treating Yue Qi with cold detachment for the rest of their years together, he sacrifices what little remains of their bond in an attempt to save the man's life, and subsequently breaks down for the first time in his life when it turns out his attempt had failed. (This is in fact the only instance of love or trust he ever shows throughout the series, though an older girl slave who'd cared for a young Jiu before getting sold leads to him being soft on women in general.)

From his point of view, reaching his full potential would be something along the lines of becoming a cultivator powerful enough that he'll never have to worry about himself or his family's safety and comfort again; to be more specific, what he wants is the power to protect. As for what he'd go through to meet that potential...he's willing to put himself through all kinds of suffering if it will get him to his goal, and canonically does in fact keep pushing himself to the point that he's described as constantly giving himself cultivation-related health issues due to overexertion long after he's already gotten pretty high up on the cultivation ladder. Gaining this potential would mean the world to him - it would mean he can finally keep safe the ones he cares for, and he'll never feel helpless again.

Abilities:
- Good with a sword
- Spiritual powers (capable of a wide variety of things, but all he's learned is how to make things sharp)

Inventory:
- A cheap sword
- A small pouch with some coins in it

Samples: - Adult Jiu
- Adult Jiu but he's a fox now

Questions: If you have any questions for the mod team, please include them here and we will address them during the processing of your application.